The staff of the Ondo State House of Assembly, under the umbrella of the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN), embarked on an indefinite strike on Monday over the non-implementation of legislative financial autonomy.
Members of the association locked the entrance of the State House of Assembly on Monday and said their action was in compliance with the directive from the national body of the union on the nationwide indefinite strike.
The workers said the move became necessary following the failure of the Executive Branch of government to address their demands after a 21-day ultimatum.
Members of the association who also staged a peaceful protest at the Assembly complex were armed with placards with various inscriptions, chanting solidarity songs.
Chairman of PASAN in Ondo State, Mrs Omolola Olufemi, said the move was in compliance with national directives following the failure of the government to address the demands for financial autonomy and a welfare package for legislative staff.
Olufemi, who stated that financial autonomy is crucial to the growth of the legislature, said the association had given the government enough time to implement financial autonomy following the suspension of the strike two years ago.
She said, “You could recall that the bedrock of parliamentary autonomy hinges on financial independence. Autonomy in this context is simply defined as the non-dependence and non-subordination of parliaments in relation to the executive.
“The Parliaments should have equitable access to resources. As such, parliaments, by constitutional arrangements, are supposed to have enough financial muscle to carry out their legislative mandate, including exercising power over the budget.”
Also, the PASAN National Ex-Officio, Mr Olumide Tapere, said that parliaments should assert their role as a separate arm of government and be independent of the executive in the way they organise themselves.
He said, “There is no two-way to it; all we are asking for is financial freedom so we can do things on our own and function well, as entrenched in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
It will be recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari signed an executive order in May 2020 granting financial autonomy to the legislature across the 36 states of the country.
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