National, State Assemblies Workers Vow Total Shutdown Of Legislative Houses From Wednesday Over Financial Autonomy

Workers across the 36 state and the national assemblies say they have concluded all arrangements to lock up their respective workplaces from Wednesday pending when their demands for financial autonomy of the legislative arm of the government would be granted.

The workers, under the auspices of Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN) are demanding that state governors should commence immediate implementation of financial autonomy for state assemblies in line with the 1999 Constitution.

Recall that parliamentary workers had on several occasions embarked on a series of street protests to press home their demands.

In separate letters sent to the Chairman, Nigerian Governors Forum; Chairman, Forum of Speakers and the Department of State Services (DSS), copies of which were obtained by our correspondent, the workers explained that they had earlier issued a 21-day strike notice.

The letters, signed by acting Secretary General of PASAN, Agugbue Ugochi Happiness, argued that their decision to shut down legislative arms of government became imperative due to the governors’ failure to implement the financial autonomy as provided in the constitution.

After submitting the letters, Happiness told journalists on Monday that the union had since September 18, 2023 issued the ultimatum and the governors ignored the ultimatum till it expired.

“We refer to our letters dated 18th September, 2023 and 7th of October, 2023 on 21 days ultimatum to embark on industrial action if financial autonomy is not implemented in the State Houses of Assembly nationwide by Wednesday October 18th 2023 and hereby inform you that the leadership of our great union has further extended the ultimatum by one week.

“We, therefore, hope that the extension would further avail ample opportunity to meet the demands of the union and avert the available industrial action.

“We hereby reiterate the union’s preparedness to direct the members to embark on the proposed strike action if its demands are not yielded to,” the letter partly read.