The National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies, NILDS, has admonished Nigerians not to be sentimental in their choice of candidates and parties to vote for in the forthcoming elections in 2023.
Director – General of NILDS , Professor Abubakar Sulaiman , gave the admonition in Abuja on Wednesday in his closing remarks at the end of a three – day capacity – building workshop held for National Assembly Committee Clerks and Legislative aides of the federal lawmakers .
According to him , 2023 general elections will provide Nigerians opportunity to vote for candidates or Political parties of their choice that will steer the ship of the Nation for another four years being a transitional one at the federal level .
“In making such choices , sentiments bordering on religion and ethnicity should be avoided by the electorates by focusing on competence and capability of the candidate’s vis – – vis, the manifesto of each political party.
” We mustn’t be nepotic in our perception of the candidates but rather what they have in plan for the country “, he said.
He also admonished aggrieved legislative aides to channel whatever grievances they have on non-payment of their allowances to the management of the National Assembly and not the political leadership.
” Bureaucrats and not politicians, are in the best position to address all issues bordering on your welfare.
” The political leadership of the National Assembly, i . e, the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt Hon Femi Gbajabiamila, are very much concerned about the welfare of legislative aides and other parliamentary workers.
” This three-day capacity-building workshop which is the 5th in the series within the last three years was facilitated by them.
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” Through their support and approval, all staff of NILDS, had at different times within the last three years, gone for international training aside series of capacity-building workshops attended in Nigeria.
” By way of intervention, all grieviances tabled at this workshop by aggrieved legislative aides against the National Assembly management shall be forwarded to the appropriate quarters for required action “, he said.
One of the legislative aides, Mrs. Joy Adele David, while expressing her appreciation for the training, lamented that the National Assembly management has been very unfair to them within the last 33 months.
Salary arrears, she said has become a serious issue, non-provision of working tools, non-payment of BTA, and harassment from security agencies against them during protests.
The Director-General of the legislative institute however promised to table the agitations of the aggrieved legislative aides before the highest authorities concerned, stressing that legislative aides deserved to be treated better in terms of their welfare and should not be reduced to “houseboys”, to carry the bags of their principals and run other errands for them.
According to Sulaiman, Nigeria’s democracy can only flourish with a vibrant legislature and the quality of legislative aides will always be instrumental in achieving the desired success.
Editor: Ena Agbanoma
