Parliamentary Staff To Shut Down National, State Assemblies

Legislative workers under the aegis of the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN) have resolved to shut down the National and State Assemblies across the 36 States of the federation on Wednesday.

According to them, their decision to embark on a nationwide strike is because the government has refused to meet its financial autonomy demands.

The Publisher gathered that the development was contained in separate letters sent to the Chairman, Nigerian Governors Forum; Chairman, Forum of Speakers and the Department of State Services (DSS), and signed by acting Secretary General of PASAN, Agugbue Ugochi Happiness.

It would be recalled the group had earlier issued a 21-day strike notice; therefore, 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.

The legislative workers demanded that state governors immediately start implementing financial autonomy for state assemblies in line with the 1999 Constitution.

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

The PASAN letter partly read, “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.”