Parliamentary workers seek full financial autonomy for state

The Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria, on Thursday, called on President Bola Tinubu to prevail on state governors to guarantee full implementation of financial autonomy for state legislatures to avert another strike.

PASAN suspended its strike following a jointly signed Memorandum of Understanding by the Chairmen of the Conference of the Speakers and Nigeria Governors’ Forum to the effect that legislative financial autonomy for the state legislatures would take effect across the country by February 28, 2024.

The association’s South-West Zonal Vice President, Adewale Adele, made its position known at a press conference, held at the Western Hall, Secretariat, Agodi in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital on Thursday.

He explained that the warning became necessary due to the expiration of the ultimatum given to the governors to implement legislative financial autonomy in their various states.

Adele said only Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, had started implementation of the financial autonomy by his recent assent to the legislative fund management law.

The Zonal Vice President said it was noteworthy that Lagos and Oyo states, respectively, had initiated moves in that regard.

He said, “The ultimatum given for the implementation of legislative financial autonomy has expired according to the signed agreement with no positive response from the state governors except for Benue.

“Consequently, the association considers the non-compliance of the NGF with the MoU as a breach of trust and a grave violation of Section 121 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).

“We are optimistic that the implementation of full legislative financial autonomy will strengthen the state Houses of Assembly Service Commission, enhance the career progression of the legislative staff and also resolve issues like non-remittance of legislative staff monthly deductions e.g cooperative and pension deductions, and non-payment of legislative staff wardrobe allowance, as well as other germane issues concerning the welfare of the parliamentary staffers across the federation.

“To avert another strike which could cripple legislative activities across the nation at this critical economic period, we respectfully call on President Tinubu to prevail on the state governors to respect the position of the law on financial autonomy for state legislatures as stipulates in the Constitution

“While we are awaiting further directive from the national secretariat of our union on the next line of action, it is pertinent to state that members of the ZEC of PASAN South West will stand firm to vehemently resist any attempt to subvert the quest for the implementation of legislative financial autonomym”