By Oyebola Owolabi
The Lagos State House of Assembly chapter of the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN) has declared an indefinite strike over the non-implementation of legislative financial autonomy.
A statement by the Chairman, Comrade Taofiq Adele, reads: “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 is in terms of unfettered control over financial and other related resources. According to best practices, the parliaments should have equitable access to resources. As such, parliaments by constitutional arrangements should have enough financial muscle to carry out their legislative mandate, including exercising power over the budget.
“This is consistent with the principles that ‘parliaments 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’.”
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Adele added that parliaments should assert their role as a separate arm of government, meaning they should be independent from the executive in their organisation, control of timetable and the ability to recall themselves outside normal session if circumstances so required.
The chairman explained that the principle of autonomy in practice involves different aspects, including parliamentary responsibility for its own staffing and control of its own budget. This, he added, also included organisation of its own business with these essential features so they can operate efficiently and exercise effective oversight over policy issues affecting people.
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