Workers in all 36 states and national legislatures have stated that they have completed all preparations to lock down their individual workplaces until their demands for financial autonomy of the legislative branch of government are met.
According to reports, workers under the auspices of the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria, PASAN, are demanding that state governors immediately implement financial autonomy for state assemblies in accordance 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, 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 September 18th, 2023 and October 7th, 2023 on the 21-day 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,” the letter said in part.
“We therefore hope that the extension will provide additional opportunities to meet the union’s demands and avoid the looming 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”.
