Parliamentary workers continue nationwide strike as governors ignore plight

The Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria has pledged to continue its nationwide strike action due to the refusal of state governors to meet their demands for full financial autonomy for state Houses of Assembly.

Ripples Nigeria had reported that the workers commenced the strike on March 23, two weeks after they protested at the National Assembly complex, Abuja.

This stance was confirmed via a statement by the National President of the group on Monday, March 29, Mohammed Usman, who confirmed that the governors had yet to meet with the union.

He stated that the one-week-old strike would continue indefinitely until the state legislature was granted financial autonomy as contained in the Financial Autonomy Act 2018, and the Presidential Order 10.

Read also: Parliamentary workers begin indefinite strike, demand financial autonomy

Usman, however, told the press on Monday that PASAN was expecting to hear from the Conference of Speakers which held a meeting in Bauchi a few days ago.

He stated that the legislature would not continue to be a rubber stamp of the executive arm of government, stressing that only the full implementation of the autonomy law would assuage the striking workers.

Usman stated, “All we want is the independence of the legislature. It is better they address the issues or the houses of assembly will remain shut.”

The union leader said his association had informed state assembly speakers that they could not stop the industrial action till the demands of the workers were met, adding that “(speakers) should take up the issues with state governors if they were concerned about the shutdown of the state legislature.”

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