The commissioners, in a letter dated April 26, said the chairman of the commission, Dr Adamu Fika, acted alone by issuing the appointment letter to Omolori. Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, had, last week, written to the National Assembly Service Commission, asking the chairman to withdraw the appointment letter issued to Omolori, as he insisted that the appointment failed to follow due process. Saraki had said in a letter signed by his Chief of Staff, Senator Isa Galaudu, that Mr Ben Efeturi was the most senior Clerk to take the position of acting Clerk to the National Assembly. The incumbent Clerk, Salisu Maikasuwa, is due to retire in August and is set to start his pre-retirement leave in matter of days. Seven Commissioners—Abubakar Rufai (North-West), Idi Ningi (North-East), Joseph Oru (South- South), Dr Paul Oweh (South-South), Elder Stephen Yelphi (North-Central), Barrister Funmi Lamuye (South- West) and Honourable Abel Chukwu (South-East) wrote on Tuesday, claiming that Fika acted alone. Fika had, in a letter dated April 26, replied Saraki, insisting that Omolori was rightly appointed the acting Clerk. But the seven commissioners, in the letter dated April 26, sighted by Nigerian Tribune on Thursday, said Fika acted unilaterally in announcing Omolori. The commissioners wrote: “The chairman, National Assembly Service Commission would please, recall that you convened an emergency meeting of the Commission on Wednesday, April 20, where you presented a memo for appointment of an acting Clerk of National Assembly. “At the meeting, though there were divergent views as follows: Five commissioners made no comment, while only one endorsed the memo. Strangely, you ruled that the memo had carried and that Mr Sani Omolori is appointed the acting Clerk of National Assembly.” They further wrote that the chairman acted against the commission’s norm, which mandated it to adopt its minutes of meeting at a follow-up meeting before making an announcement. They stated that the action of National Assembly Service Commission chairman had exposed the commission to negative publicity and, therefore, dissociated themselves from the appointment. The commissioners recalled that Fika had, in 2014, attempted to name Omolori deputy Clerk to the National Assembly ahead Efeturi, but the bid was reversed after the intervention of 11 commissioners, who dissociated themselves from the action. They further clarified that since Efeturi had been appointed deputy Clerk to the National Assembly on November 21, 2014, the issue of seniority in the National Assembly hierarchy had been settled, adding that Efeturi should be allowed to takeover the seat in acting capacity. “We, the undersigned commissioners, dissociate ourselves from the letter appointing Mohammed Sani Omolori the acting Clerk to the National Assembly and affirm that Ben Efeturi is the rightful person to assume that office based on seniority,” they said.]]>