Welfare: Staff Shutdown National Assembly

BY AMOS DUNIA, ABUJA – Keeping to their threat of a four-day warning strike, the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN), led its members and blocked all entrances and exits the National Assembly.

As a result, the entrances leading to office complex that houses the two chambers of Senate and House of Representatives, as well as those of lawmakers’ offices can no longer be accessed.

It was also gathered that other essential services such as power supply and water to the complex have been disconnected by the staff with a view to give the strike the needed effect.

This is taking place less than 48 hours to the scheduled presentation of the 2019 budget to the joint session of the National Assembly by President Muhammadu Buhari which is billed for Wednesday, December 19, 2018.

However, security personnel attached to the National Assembly and a reinforcement from Abuja command have been mobilized and stationed in strategic positions around the National Assembly complex to forestall possible breakdown of law and order.

The National Assembly complex is situated within the Three Arms zone that include the Aso Rock Presidential Villa that houses the office and residence of the President and the Supreme Court.

Members of PASAN had penultimate Friday issued a warning to the management (Bureaucracy) of the National Assembly to settle pending staff welfare issues or face an indefinite strike if it fails to meet its members demands.

Chairman of PASAN, Comrade Musa Bature, said the strike which commenced today is a precursor to the indefinite one the Association promised the management of the National Assembly, adding that the strike has nothing to do with the leadership (political) of the federal legislature.

Bature had on December 4, 2019 warned that if the pending welfare allowances of staff are not settled, the legislative proceedings of both chambers of the National Assembly would be put on hold.

The House of Representatives had some days ago at plenary requested the Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed, to appear before it in order to explain why the PASAN’s funds captured in the 2018 Budget was yet to be released.

Chairman of PASAN told journalists that the picketing which started on Tuesday 4th December was to last till Thursday, December 6 as a prelude and warning signal to a proposed total strike action billed to begin on December 18, but for the intervention of the leadership of the National Assembly.

Bature said; “We thank the political leadership of National Assembly for their intervention. We hereby reiterate that the proposed indefinite industrial action that will ground all legislative activities of National Assembly will commence as earlier scheduled if the demands are not met as promised.”