Workers in the 36 State Assemblies have resolved to embark on a nationwide strike from Wednesday to press their demand for autonomy of the parliaments.
The workers, under the auspices of the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN) had earlier given the state governments a 21-day ultimatum and further extended it by one week so there can be immediate implementation of financial autonomy for state assemblies by the Governors.
Information Nigeria reports that former President Muhammadu Buhari signed into law an Executive Order on financial autonomy to the legislature and the judiciary across the 36 states of the country on May 23, 2020.
However, the former president suspended the gazetting of the order after a pushback from Governors.
In the 2022 constitution amendment, some of the bills that scaled through included financial autonomy for state legislature and judiciary.
Meanwhile, the fresh notice was signed by the acting Secretary General of PASAN, Agugbue Ugochi Happiness, and addressed to the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, Chairman of the Forum of Speakers and the Department of State Services (DSS).
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The letter, as seen by newsmen on Monday 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 18, 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.”
According to Happiness, the decision to shut down parliaments followed the Governors’ failure to implement the financial autonomy as provided by the 1999 Constitution.
He said the governors snubbed an ultimatum on the implementation of the autonomy issued by PASAN on September 18.
One of the leaders of PASAN who spoke to Vanguard anonymously, said: “We have got to the point of no return. We have done every necessary thing to avoid another round of strike, but the governors have pushed us to a point of no return.
”Anyway, they still have about 48 hours to do the needful. But if they fail, we will have no option but to declare a nationwide strike from Wednesday (tomorrow.)”
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