C’River Assembly passes House Services Commission Bill into law
In less than a year in office, the 9th Assembly had written its name in gold through the signing into law a bill that would ensure the efficient service delivery of the legislative institution in the state.
Cross River State House of Assembly had on Wednesday, 6th May, 2020 passed a Bill for a law to make provision for the establishment of the Cross River State House of Assembly Service Commission.
History was made on Thursday, 7th May, 2020 when the bill was assented to by His Excellency, Sen. Prof. Ben Ayade, Executive Governor of Cross River state.
Recalling that several attempts were made in the past to pass the, bill into law but all to no avail by previous administrations.
The leadership of the 9th Assembly would go down in history for making a frantic effort in strengthening the legislative institution in the state and moving a step towards granting of financial and institutional autonomy to the House of Assembly.
The Bill which was sponsored by Rt Hon. Okon E. Ephraim, representing Calabar South 1 Constituency and the 9th Assembly’s Chief Whip, seek to ensure that the State House of Assembly has its own Service Commission to be at par with other two arms of Government, the Executive and Judiciary which have Civil Service Commission and Judicial Service Commission respectively in line with Section ninety three of the 1999 Constitution.
In a report, presented by the Chairman of the House Committee on Judiciary, Public Service Matters, Public Petition and Conflict Resolution, Rt Hon. Efa Esua, Members were informed that inputs were received from relevant Stakeholders during the public hearing stage of the Committee’s work.
Esua, also emphasised that the Assembly Service Commission, “will take charge of the full responsibility of recruitment, training, discipline, promotion and transfer of staff of the House of Assembly;” adding that; “it will bring about greater output in the productivity of staff”
According to the report, the bill establishes a Consolidated Legislative Salary Structure (CONLESS) for staff of the Assembly to commence from when it is passed while the tenure of legislative Aides to Members will run with that of the Members to whom they are attached.
The Speaker, Rt. Hon. Eteng Williams congratulated his colleagues for their painstaking efforts in the speedy passage of the bill, while commending the Governor for writing his name in the sands of time by assenting to this monumental bill.
