AGGRIEVED parliamentary workers in Lagos, Ogun, Sokoto and four other states, on Tuesday, shut down House of Assembly complexes over non-compliance with financial autonomy.
The protesters, under the aegis of the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN), are demanding that the budget of the legislature be removed from the control of the executive arm of the government.
The ICIR gathered that the protesters stormed the House of Assembly complexes in Osun, Ekiti, Sokoto, Jigawa, Imo and Oyo states.
In Oyo State, the protesters carried placards that read: “Give us our autonomy. Enough is enough,” “We say no to executive slavery,” “Legislative arm is a separate arm of government,” “AGF, implement Order 10, 2020,” and “Legislative financial autonomy is a constitutional right,” among others.
Speaking on behalf of the protesters, PASAN chairman in Oyo State Yemi Alade alleged that Nigeria Governors Forum was behind the non-implementation of the financial autonomy of lawmakers.
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Alade argued that their demands were over non-implementation of the financial autonomy as it was a provision in Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
He said there could be no true democracy in Nigeria if the legislative arm of the government was not emasculated from the executive arm.
“As a staff of the House of Assembly, if there is no true democracy; no independence, it will affect the democracy of the country.
“It is affecting the entire country, not only the staff of the House of Assembly because the principle of separation of power stipulates that each arm of government must act separately, because if there is no financial autonomy, all other arms of government will be in slavery to the executive arm,” Alade said.
Also in Dutse, the Jigawa State capital, the PASAN members who protested at the Jigawa State House of Assembly said they had joined the protest following the directive from the national headquarters.
“All we are demanding is a full implementation of the Financial Autonomy Act, condition of service, consolidated salary and allowances structure and 40 instead of 35 years or 65 instead of 60 years’ retirement age,” said PASAN chairman in Jigawa State Umar Adamu.
On Monday, PASAN national president Usman Mohammed had declared a nationwide strike over federal government’s unwillingness to implement financial autonomy for legislative workers.
Mohammed said this during a press conference held in Abuja on Monday to declare the commencement of the nationwide strike.
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“The union has exhausted all attempts aimed at asking for the implementation of the Financial Autonomy by the federal government after 21 days, 14 days and 7 days’ ultimatum. At this juncture, the union has no other option than to direct our members to embark on an indefinite strike,” Mohammed said.
Lukman Abolade is an Investigative reporter with The ICIR. Reach out to him via labolade@icirnigeria.org, on twitter @AboladeLAA and FB @Correction94