No Parliament Can Rise Above the Quality of Its Aides — South Sudan Speaker

By our Correspondent

The Speaker of South Sudan’s Transitional National Legislative Assembly, Rt. Hon. Jemma Nunu Kumba, has delivered a strong message to African legislatures, stressing that the continent cannot build durable democracies without prioritising the empowerment of legislative aides who support everyday parliamentary operations.

Speaking in Abuja on Monday at the maiden African Legislative Aides Conference (ALAC 2025), Kumba described legislative aides as “the quiet custodians of democracy,” noting that their work in research, documentation, analysis and administrative coordination forms the backbone of legislative processes across Africa.

“Parliament is only as strong as its support system,” she stated, highlighting that clerks, researchers, analysts, administrators and technical staff must be regarded not merely as helpers but as essential players in lawmaking and oversight.

The three-day conference, which convened delegates from various African countries, aims to establish the continent’s first unified platform for legislative aides, focusing on standardisation, capacity building and inter-parliamentary cooperation.

Kumba stressed that even the most capable Speakers or dedicated lawmakers cannot function optimally without a skilled support structure that ensures research depth, committee organisation, procedural clarity and institutional continuity. She cautioned that no parliament can exceed the strength of its aides.

“When political cycles shift, aides remain,” she noted. “They preserve records, guide lawmakers and uphold procedure. They are the unseen weight-bearers of democracy.”

She further argued that Africa’s democratic resilience—particularly amid recent military disruptions in some countries—relies heavily on professional legislative work grounded in research, technology and administrative expertise.

A major focus of her keynote address was the urgent need for investment in digital tools for legislative aides. She emphasised that African parliaments must adopt digital archiving, AI-driven research, cloud-based committee systems and online transparency mechanisms if they are to meet modern global standards.

“Without digital empowerment, we cannot empower aides — and without empowering aides, we cannot strengthen democracy,” she asserted.

Earlier, the Chairman of the National Assembly Legislative Aides Forum, High Chief Emeka Nwala, welcomed delegates, explaining that the conference was organised to deepen professionalism, standardise legislative support services and strengthen democratic governance across the continent.

Nwala reiterated that empowering aides is indispensable: “Legislative aides are the powerhouse that drives parliament,” he said.

With representatives from numerous African legislatures in attendance, the Abuja gathering marks the first deliberate effort to organise legislative aides on a continental scale.

The African Legislative Aides Association was formally inaugurated during the conference, with Emeka Nwala emerging as the continental chairman.