Financial Autonomy:PASAN Shuts  State Assemblies Nationwide Lagos 

The Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN),Tuesday shuts state assemblies over the non-implementation of financial autonomy for state legislature nationwide.

Protesting at the complex,the  Yobe chapter of the union explained that its action to the directives from their National Executives to embark on an indefinite strike action in response to the federal government non implementation of the financial autonomy act of 2018 and presidential order 10, 2020.

The Chairman of the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN), Yobe State Chapter, Comrade Zanna Ali said : “Why we took this action is that we want the federal government to implement the financial autonomy, we joined the strike because it is a nationwide strike, we want our demands met, the financial autonomy is constitutional, this is all what we want, it’s almost two years now the President assented the bill and we are yet to see anything. There is no going to be sitting today because we locked the legislative entrance, there’s no sitting today”.

He added that having exhausted all attempts aimed at asking for the implementation of the financial autonomy by the federal government after 21 days, 14 days and 7 days ultimatum. “At this juncture the Union has no other option than to direct our members to embark on an indefinite strike”.

” The union has been magnanimous by allowing ample time so that the federal government through Mr. President’s implementation committee on financial autonomy”.

Besides, Lagos State House of Assembly chapter of the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN) hmjoined the nationwide indefinite strike embarked upon by the Association over the non-implementation of financial autonomy for state legislature.

According to a statement issued on Tuesday and signed by Comrade Adele Adewale Taofiq, Lagos PASAN Chairman, Lagos PASAN explained that in May 2020, President Muhammadu Buhari signed an executive order granting financial autonomy to the legislature across the 36 states of the country, noting that the executive order was yet to be implemented by the governors.

While urging members of PASAN to be peaceful from the beginning to the end of the strike and wear their legislative uniform (PASAN Cap) to office on Tuesday in order not to give room for hoodlums to hijack the strike, Adele said, “A Strike Action Committee would be set up to monitor compliance, as it has been directed by the National Headquarters of PASAN.

“You could recall that the bedrock of Parliamentary Autonomy hinges on financial Independence. Autonomy in this context is simply defined as non-dependence and non-subordination of Parliaments in relation to the Executive.

“This non-dependence and non-subordination as stated above is in terms of unfettered control over financial and other related resources.

“Therefore, according to the best practice 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.

“This is consistent with the Latimer principles that state that ‘parliament should have control of and authority to determine and secure their budgetary requirements unconstrained by the Executive, save for budgetary constraints dictated by national circumstances’.

“In fact, this suggests that parliaments should assert their role as a separate arm of government, this includes the fact that they should be independent from the Executive in the way they organise themselves, control over their own timetable and the ability to recall themselves outside normal session if by circumstances so as required.”

Adele noted that the principle of autonomy in practice involved a number of different aspects, including: parliamentary responsibility for its own staffing; and control over its own budget.

This, he said, also included organisation of its own business with all these essential features so that they will be able to operate efficiently and exercise effective oversight over a range of policy issues affecting people.

“On this note, it’s very obvious that the struggle we set out and agreed to fight in order to liberate the legislative arm of government, and Nigeria democracy is finally upon us.  Notifications have been given in line with the provisions of the Trade Disputes Act of the Federation, yet no response from the government,” he added.