Legislative activities at the Abia State House of Assembly have been brought to a standstill as parliamentary workers, under the aegis of the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN), commenced an indefinite strike on Monday.
The workers, protesting the state government’s failure to implement Legislative Financial Autonomy, blocked access to the Assembly complex, preventing lawmakers, staff, and visitors from entering. A banner announcing the strike was also displayed at the main entrance.
Speaking to THE WHISTLER, a staff member, who preferred to remain anonymous, emphasised the need for financial independence, stressing that the legislative arm of government should operate autonomously.
“We are fighting for our financial autonomy. We are supposed to be a separate arm of government, and as such, we should have our own financial independence. Our funds should come directly from Abuja,” he stated.
He accused the state government of stifling its operations by withholding funds meant for the Assembly and only disbursing minimal amounts.
“Over the years, the state government has been suffocating us, collecting our money and giving us peanuts. This time, we are taking a stand to claim our rights. If it means being on strike and locking up the Assembly for four months, we are ready to do that,” he added.
The state chairman of PASAN, Mr. Sunday Kalu, noted that the strike was a directive from the national leadership of the union. He explained that the action followed the expiration of two ultimatums issued on November 19, 2024, and January 30, 2025, over the government’s continued non-implementation of Financial Autonomy, Consolidated Legislative Structure (CONLESS), and Administrative Autonomy.
“Government constituted a commission after much demand, but it is not functioning,” Kalu stated, expressing frustration over the lack of progress despite previous negotiations.
The striking workers argue that their demands are backed by the law. Section 121 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) mandates financial autonomy for state legislatures, yet PASAN claims the Abia government has failed to comply.
“But up until now, we are still begging the Executive to pay our salary and allowances,” Kalu said.
He also raised concerns over the administrative challenges facing Assembly staff.
“We have a service commission which is supposed to give us our administrative autonomy, but the commission is somehow handicapped.
“The file of every worker in the House has been moved to the Office of the Head of Service.
“Our activities are being stalled, we can’t get our promotions, and as a civil servant, one can’t do anything with their file.
“The same thing applies to financial autonomy and CONLESS, but all our efforts to make the government listen to us have failed,” he lamented.
He noted that the strike comes despite a Memorandum of Understanding signed in November 2023 by the Nigeria Governors Forum, the Conference of Speakers of State Houses of Assembly, and PASAN’s national executive, which agreed to fully implement financial autonomy and CONLESS from January 2024.
The situation raises concerns about the impact of the strike on legislative proceedings, as lawmakers may be unable to sit until the dispute is resolved.
