The Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria, PASAN, South-West Zone, has threatened to resume its suspended strike over the failure of some governors to implement the legislative financial autonomy agreement.
PASAN South-West Vice-President, Mr Adele Adewale, who disclosed this at a news conference in Ibadan on Thursday, said the union would not hesitate to resume its suspended strike if the governors reneged on implementing the financial autonomy as agreed to.
The association had on Nov. 23, 2023, suspended a three-week strike after a signed Memorandum of Understanding, MoU with Chairmen of the Conference of Speakers and the Nigeria Governors’ Forum on legislative financial autonomy.
In the MoU, the legislative financial autonomy for the state legislatures would have taken effect across the country by Feb. 28, 2024.
The vice-president of the association, however, lamented that only Benue had implemented the agreement.
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Adewale said the association considered the non-compliance of the governors as a breach of trust and a violation of Section 121 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.
He called on President Bola Tinubu to prevail on the governors to respect the position of the law on financial autonomy for state legislatures to avert another strike.
The pending strike, he said, could cripple legislative activities at this critical time of the nation.
“We are optimistic that the implementation of full legislative financial autonomy will strengthen the State Houses of Assembly Service Commission and enhance the career progression of the legislative staff.
“It will also resolve issues like non-remittance of legislative staff monthly deductions, such as cooperative and pension deductions; non-payment of legislative staff wardrobe allowance; non-implementation of CONLESS as well as other germane issues bothering on the welfare of the parliamentary staffers across the federation,” he said.
He said the South-West PASAN will vehemently resist any attempt to subvert the quest for the implementation of the signed agreement.
