By Adeyinka Adeniran
Staff and workers of the Oyo House of Assembly under the aegis of Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN) on Monday shut the entrance gate of the Assembly complex.
The workers, who mounted a roadblock at the entrance were seen dancing to music oozing from the DJ
The workers said the move was in compliance with the national directive of the Association who called for a nationwide strike over the non-implementation of financial autonomy for state legislatures.
The mild protest however did not disrupt activities within the Oyo state Secretariat as visitors and workers are going about their normal duties.
Aside from a big banner tied to the entrance gate announcing the protest, other placards with various inscriptions were also pasted at different points of the protest areas.
The inscription on the big banner reads “Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN) embarks on a nationwide strike over non-implementation of financial autonomy for state legislatures “Keep off”.
Other placards reads “Legislative fina cuak autonomy is a constitutional right”, “PASAN demand full implementation of CONLESS and other allowances at 100 percent”; “Governor’s Forum not superior to the constitution”, “The constitution is supreme. Legislative autonomy is non negotiable”.
Others read “PASAN demands immediate and unconditional assent of Oyo State House of Assembly Commission Billas passed by Oyo State House of Assembly in 2021”, “There is no democracy without the rule of law” among others.
Speaking Oyo PASAN Chairman, Comrade Yemi Alade said the strike is as a result of non-implementation financial economy and general welfare of staff, noting that the issue of autonomy as been the subject of controversy for more than three to four years across the federation.
He said if the relevant stakeholders and government don’t do the needful, the parliamentary workers will not fold our arms and watch them deny us our rights.
He noted that if the needful is done, the workers will call off the strike.
Alade said “About two years ago, we are on strike about this same issue and before we called -off that strike we enter into agreement with the Nigeria Governor’s Forum, the Minister of labour and productivity and others and among the condition we gave them that time was to go and do the necessary things within the next 45days.
“We asked them to put all the necessary machinery in motion for the full implementation of autonomy, but up till this present time nothing has been done.
“If giving this autonomy, “autonomy is just to give the independence to the legislature, it is going to strengthening the legislation and democracy and it is a constitutional right according to section 1-2 of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“The constitution already spell out the money meant for the legislative arm of government and judiciary arm of government, the way it will be dispose to them for constituted legislative structure. What we realize about the issue is that the Governor’s Forum is like they don’t want to do it.
“We are using this opportunity to tell all the concerned stakeholders to do the necessary things, otherwise the parliamentary staff of Nigeria will not sit and fold our arms and look at them when our right is denied.
“We are going to fight for it, we are going to act for it. If they do the necessary things tomorrow we will call-off the strike but as soon as they keep on delaying us we continue with the strike.”
