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Tag: PASAN

  • Parliamentary officials seek release of colleagues

    Parliamentary officials seek release of colleagues

    Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN), Lagos State chapter, has condemned the detention of three Lagos State House of Assembly workers by the Department of State Services (DSS).

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    The detained workers, including two sergeants-at-arms officers and a public affairs officer were arrested on February 17 for preventing DSS officials from entering the chamber with firearms, which is against House norms.

    PASAN Chairman, Comrade Babatunde Ogunlana, described the arrest, detention and trial of the workers as an abuse of power and a gross violation of their rights.

  • PASAN threatens to shutdown National, state assemblies

    PASAN threatens to shutdown National, state assemblies

    The Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN) has vowed to shut down the National Assembly and Houses of Assembly to protest failure to grant autonomy to the legislature.

    PASAN is demanding that governors should implement financial autonomy for state assemblies in line with the 1999 Constitution.

    In separate letters to Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum; Chairman, Forum of Speakers, and Department of State Services (DSS), PASAN explained that it had earlier issued a mandatory 21-day industrial action notice.

    The letters, signed by the Acting Secretar-General, Agugbue Happiness, argued that their decision to shut down the Houses of Assembly became imperative due to the governors’ failure to implement the financial autonomy as provided in the constitution.

    Happiness said the ultimatum was given on September 18, but the governors ignored it till it expired.

    The letter reads: “We refer to our letters dated September 18 and October 7, 2023, on the 21-day ultimatum to embark on industrial action if financial autonomy is not implemented in the State Houses of Assembly by October 18. We hereby inform you that the leadership of our great union has further extended the ultimatum by one week.

    “We hope the extension would further avail ample opportunity to meet our demands  and avert the industrial action. We reiterate the union’s preparedness to direct its members to embark on the proposed strike if its demands are not yielded to.”

    Ondo Assembly complex locked

    The Ondo State House of Assembly complex was locked as protesting workers staged a peaceful walk to press home their demands.

    Chairman, Mrs. Omolola Olufemi, said: “The bedrock of parliamentary autonomy hinges on financial independence. defined as non-dependence and non-subordination of parliaments in relation to the executive.

    “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.”

     Benue Speaker barred

    Speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly Aondona Dajoh and other lawmakers were barred from accessing the Assembly complex.

    Dajoh, while addressing the workers, explained that financial autonomy for state legislatures has become a constitutional matter that should be complied with in order to strengthen the legislature.

    He, however, hoped the dispute will not last for long, and also hailed members of the association for being peaceful in their agitations.

    PASAN Chairman, Comrade Francis Adole, argued that having autonomy will allow state legislatures be more independent to perform their lawful duties of checking the excesses of other arms of government, among many others.

    Edo Assembly grounded

    Activities at the Edo State House of Assembly were grounded with protesters barricading the gates and preventing lawmakers and visitors from accessing the complex.

    State Chairman, Umaru Haruna, said: “We are complying with the national directive after the expiration of the ultimatum given governors to implement autonomy for legislatures.” 

    Oyo Assembly shut

    Workers shut the gate of the Oyo State House of Assembly. They mounted a roadblock at the entrance and danced to music oozing from the DJ stand.

    They said the move was in compliance with the national directive. The mild protest however did not disrupt activities within the Oyo State Secretariat as visitors and workers went about their normal duties.

    Aside from a big banner placed at the entrance gate, other placards with various inscriptions were also pasted at different points of the protest areas.

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    The inscription on the big banner read ‘Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN) embarks on a nationwide strike over non-implementation of financial autonomy for state legislatures, Keep off’.

     Chairman Comrade Yemi Alade said if the relevant stakeholders and government don’t do the needful, ‘parliamentary workers will not watch them deny us our rights’. 

     Anambra Assembly blocked

    In Anambra State, workers barricaded entrance to the House of Assembly.

    Chairman Abraham Okoye said the action was in compliance with the directive from the national body.

    He lamented the poor working condition, regretting that the state appeared to be the worst in the country.

    Okoye vowed that the strike would continue until they receive directive from the national body or attention from the governor.

    He said: “Some states, including Anambra, have failed to implement Section 121 of the Constitution, 5th Alteration, which granted full financial autonomy to the House of Assembly. Former Governor Willie Obiano signed a law granting the legislature and the judiciary autonomy to manage their funds. In August 2022, the Assembly also passed a resolution calling for the full implementation of the law.

    “The current governor is yet to implement the law. PASAN and our counterpart in the judiciary have written letters to this effect to no avail. The executive should allow the legislature breathe and function optimally. This is our prayer…

    “Anambra PASAN seems to be the worst in the country. The state assembly is in bad shape, nothing is working. We have no functional ICT centre, no utility vehicles, as we have one vehicle used by 29 house committees for oversight function. Workers welfare is zero and our environment is bushy. We kill snakes all the time. 

    “We will continue this strike until we get directive from the national body or until we get attention from the governor.”

  • Concerns over delay in appointing new National Assembly Commission

    THE Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN) has shown concern about the continued delay in the presentation of nominees into the National Assembly Service Commission, (NASC), the body that regulates the National Assembly bureaucracy.

    The concern followed alleged moves of a conspiracy between a senior Presidency official and a top bureaucrat in the National Assembly to stall inauguration of the commission.

    PASAN had gone on strike in December, demanding inauguration of the commission among others.

    Its Chairman, Musa Bature, who noted that the constitution of the board was long overdue, said:  “The legislators have done their part by sending the list to Mr. President for his approval but till date nothing has been received.

    “As you are aware, nothing can be done except he approves the list to enable us have a new board.

    “If you remember during our protest, it was one of the demands we made before we called off the strike,” he said in an interview.

    Read also: Court grants leave to NASS, PASAN to settle dispute

    The National Assembly, in December, forwarded to the President 12 names as members of the commission. The President was expected to forward the names back to the National Assembly.

    But it was gathered a senior Presidency official responsible for the transmission of the list is the source of delay on the issue.

    In the absence of the commission, the civil service bureaucracy in the National Assembly has operated without supervision spurning claims of indiscriminate actions by some of the bureaucrats in the legislative branch of the Federal Government.

     

  • Court grants leave to NASS, PASAN to settle dispute

    The National Industrial Court on Thursday granted leave to the National Assembly (NASS) and the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN), to explore the possibility of settling out of court.

    At the resumed hearing of pending applications, the claimant’s counsel, Mr Anthony Ameh and counsel to the fourth and fifth defendants, Mr Charles Yoila, counsel to the fourth and fifth defendant both said they had motions before the court.

    Ameh’s motion, seeking to amend his processes was granted by Justice Sanusi Kado.

    The judge equally granted Yoila’s application to enter memorandum of appearance when the other counsel did not object to the application.

    Ameh, the claimants counsel thereby informed the court that the parties were already exploring the possibility of settling the matter out of court.

    The counsel said that the Memorandum of Settlement was almost ready.

    He also asked for an adjournment to enable them fine tune the document and file it before the court.

    Adegoke Omoloja, counsel to the first, second and third defendants and Yoila confirmed that, that was their position also.

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    Kado adjourned the matter until April 8, for adoption of terms of settlement.

    News Agency of Nigeria ( NAN) reports that the Senate President, Bukola Saraki and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, had dragged the union before the court seeking an order to restrain its members from closing down the National Assembly.

    The duo, in their suit via a motion ex-parte filed on Dec.18, 2018, also sought an order of the court, restraining PASAN from proceeding on strike, pending the determination of the motion on notice before the court.

    NAN recalls that the union had embarked on a warning strike and threatened to shut down the parliament to push for the payment of allowances allegedly owned its members.

    The authority of the assembly had approached the court seeking an order barring the union from taking such actions.

    Joined in the suit as co-defendants, are the Chairman and Secretary of PASAN, the Clerk and Deputy Clerk of National Assembly.

  • Strike can’t stop NASS from sitting – Gbajabiamila

    The Leader of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila (APC-Lagos) has said that the ongoing strike by members of the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN) will not stop the Legislature from sitting.

    Gbajabiamila said in an interview with journalists on Tuesday, said that shutting down the National Assembly was tantamount to shutting down the nation.

    He said that the house would sit to pass a resolution to allow President Muhammadu Buhari to present the 2019 Appropriation Bill to the joint session of the National Assembly on Wednesday.

    “Everybody has the right to strike, you cannot take that away from anybody, it is a constitutional right, it is almost a fundamental human right for you to down your tools but that’s where it ends.

    “You down your tools but you cannot stop lawmakers from doing their work, that is totally out of the purview of a strike.

    “In fact, it is in our laws, the Legislative Privilege Act that nobody can stop a legislator from doing his work and it attracts certain punishment,” he said.

    The leader said that the lawmakers would protect the rights of the striking workers and that the right of lawmakers to sit must also be protected.

    According to Gbajabiamila, when you shut down the National Assembly, you shut down the entire country.

    Read Also: NASS Leadership directs Police, SSS to secure complex for pleanry

    Gbajabiamila explained that the monies being demanded by the striking workers had nothing to do with the legislators at the National Assembly.

    According to him, the Senate, the House of Representatives and the management have a separate account and they operate differently.

    The leader said that the lawmakers were only intervening to ensure peace between the workers and the management of the assembly.

    He said when the National Assembly cannot perform its constitutional functions and the budget cannot be laid before the house, that will amount to shutting down the country and that nobody would sit and watch that to happen.

    Gbajabiamila said that the leadership of the National Assembly met yesterday and the matter was being taken care off and that the results were already being seen.

    NAN reports that the 4-day warning strike action by members of PASAN has entered day two.

  • Workers shut down National Assembly

    …say won’t stop Buhari Budget presentation

     

    Workers of National Assembly have commenced the four-day warning industrial action with a threat to put off power supply.

    The workers are protesting non implementation of the Consolidated legislative Salary Suucture (CONLESS) that was approved in 2010 among other demands.

    The Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN) said the industrial action is not a picket as no one would be stopped from accessing the National Assembly but members of the union would not be allowed to carry out their duties.

    The workers also said President Muhammadu Buhari would not be stopped from presenting the 2019 Appropriation Bill scheduled for Wednesday.

    Addressing the protesting workers at the entrance to the complex, Odo Chris MC said neither lawmakers, managememt staff from Grade Level 14 and above, nor visitors would be barred from the complex for the duration of the strike.

    The workers gather as early as half past six Monday morning to close all entrances leading to the National Assembly complex but non-members of the workers union were stopped from going into the complex.

    He said: “It is the members of the union that will not go to work, everybody else cam go in and do whatever they want to do.

    “As a union, we don’t even have the power to stop Grade 14 officers and above from going in to perform their duties because they are not our members.

    “I am appealing to you to be careful and apply wisdom as we carry out this strike because we have a law that guides us.

    “This is not picketing, there should ne no fighting,there should be no breakdown of law and order.

    “Right now, some of us will go in and shut off electricity supply, by the time the environment becomes unbearable for those that are working, they will leave as well.

    “The President can go in and present his budget if the place is conducive enough”.

    While Sergeant -at-Arm joined the protesting workers, armed security personnel including mobile policemen, Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) are on ground to prevent breakdown of law and order, while officers of Federal Road Safety Corps ((FRSC) were seen coordinating traffic movements

  • PASAN sets up committee to resolve feud

    Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN) has set up a reconciliatory/caretaker committee to resolve the internal wrangling within the association.

    Its national president, Comrade Fatai Jimoh, urged members of the central working committee to live above board and abide by the oath of office.

    He gave the terms of reference as:  to resolve the wrangling within the association; to bring all members together as one big family; to ensure that the association complies with the extant Labour Laws of the Federation and PASAN Constitution 2011 and to oversee the affairs of the Association with effect from 26th March, 2015, pending convocation of triennial delegates conference.

    Others include ensuring the payment of the backlog salaries owing the paid secretaries and secretariat staff both at the national headquarters and chapters all over the federation.

    The chairman and secretary of the committee are Andrew Abiodun Adebo and Mr. Ibraheem.

    Other members of the committee are Comrade Dirisu Gobina  vice chairman; Comrade Peter Ohaebosim, national treasurer; Comrade Badamasi Umar, publicity secretary; Comrade Adekunle Akeem, internal auditor; Comrade Emmmanuel Apeh Agada, financial secretary and Comrade Ibrahim Abdul, ex-officio.

  • National Assembly management intervenes in union crisis

    The management of the National Assembly yesterday intervened in the crisis rocking the leadership of the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN).

    The union’s national leadership, last week, dissolved the executive of its National Assembly chapter over alleged non-remittance of N158 million check-off dues.

    It constituted a caretaker committee to run the chapter.

    But the National Assembly chapter’s executive denied the allegation.

    It said: “No chapter is complying with the provision of the PASAN constitution as regards check-off dues due to its obnoxious nature.”

    The executive also faulted the resolution of the National Executive Committee (NEC) on which it was purportedly dissolved.

    But the management of the National Assembly, in an internal circular by its Director of Personnel Management, Dr Ishaya Habu, said it was considering the contentious issues in the crisis.

    It urged all parties to maintain status-quo, pending the resolution of the issue.

    The management warned that any party that conducts itself in a disorderly manner would face the full wrath of its rules.

    The internal circular, titled: Re: Dissolution of National Assembly PASAN Chapter Executive, reads: “The management of the National Assembly is in receipt of all communications on the above subject matter and is considering all issues involved in the crisis.

  • National Assembly union denies non-remittance of N158m dues

    National Assembly union denies non-remittance of N158m dues

    The executive of the National Assembly’s chapter of the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN) has denied a report that it did not remit N158 million check-off dues to its national body.

    PASAN’s national leadership, last week, announced the dissolution of the National Assembly’s Chapter over alleged non-payment of N158 million dues.

    PASAN’s Public Relations Officer (PRO) for the National Assembly’s chapter, , in a statement in Abuja, described the purported dissolution of the chapter’s executive as illegal.

    Kyespo said the executive had never defaulted in the payment of monthly check-off dues, as claimed by its national leadership.

    The union leader explained that no chapter of PASAN was complying with the provision of the union’s constitution on check-off dues, because of its “obnoxious nature”.

    He urged workers of the National Assembly’s Central Working Committee (CWC) and the National Executive Committee (NEC) of PASAN and the public to disregard the purported dissolution.

    The statement reads: “Following claims by the National President and General Secretary of the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN) that the executive organ of the National Assembly Chapter of PASAN has been dissolved over alleged failure to pay check-off dues, the executive, on behalf of the National Assembly Chapter wishes to state as follows:

    “That the action of the National Secretary of PASAN on the purported dissolution of a democratically elected Exco of the NASS chapter is illegal, null and void with no effect.

    “That the National Assembly executive of PASAN has not defaulted in the payment of the monthly check-off dues as claimed by the National President and Secretary General of PASAN.

    “The seventh NEC meeting held between April 29 to 30 2014 at the Senate wing of the National Assembly complex never resolved to dissolve any chapter Exco that is owing check-off dues as purported because no chapter is complying with the provision of the PASAN Constitution as regards check-off dues due to its obnoxious nature.

    “The unilateral act of the President to have purportedly dissolved the NASS Chapter Executive and constituting a caretaker committee without a valid NEC resolution is a further proof of his anti-democratic inclination and lack of transparency in running PASAN activities at the national level. The procedure for resolving all internal dispute is clearly stated in Rule 22 of the PASAN Constitution.

    “Further proof to this is his refusal to allow external auditing of PASAN account since He assumed office even when some chapter requested to have a copy of the audited account in complying with Rule 20.

    “The appointment of Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) Ishola (rtd) as legal consultant to the union without regard to the office of the National Legal Officer is a further violation of the constitution.

    “It will be recalled that funds for the first Parliamentary Games, held at the Old Parade Ground in Abuja in 2011, was illegally diverted.

    “The secrecy in running the union’s account pitched the President against the Central Working Committee (CWC) members who were in Abuja for the seventh NEC meeting to boycott the ill-timed centenary match-past deliberately organised to coincide with the May Day celebrations to deprive his chapter from participating.

    “Funds donated for the event, running into N15 million, were single-handedly and fraudulently spent.”

    Kyespo said some members of the illegal caretaker committee had resigned their appointment following the “fresh facts at their disposal” on the purported NEC resolution, less than two weeks after its inauguration.

    He said some members of the caretaker committee, including its chairman, had taken the National Assembly’s chapter to court on the same issue with the surreptitious support and sponsorship of the National President.

    He added: “The mandate given to Comrade Bawa Muhammed-led Exco by the staff of the National Assembly in March 2012 for a period of three years remain sacrosanct, valid and cannot be reversed by a self-serving individual.

    “This is because the chapter has witnessed massive achievements in the last two years which includes providing eight brand new coastal buses to ease staff movement, monthly remittance of pension deduction to Pension Funds Administrators (PFAs), hosting of the 1st ever PASAN week, improved staff training, staff housing scheme in the Federal Capital Territory which is ongoing, sensitisation of staff to pension and Hepatitis including other welfare packages.

    “The fact remains that Bawa Muhammed-led Exco still enjoys the support of its members and management through the unhindered access to PASAN facilities within and outside the National Assembly.

    “We urge the CWC members, the NEC and the public to disregard the purported dissolution.”