Tag: tinubu

Legislative workers under the aegis of the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN) Southwest zone have called on President Bola Tinubu to prevail on state governors to respect the position of the law on financial autonomy for state legislatures as stipulated in the constitution.

The Association said the call became imperative in a bid to avert another strike that could cripple legislative duties across the nation, particularly during this critical economic period.

The Zonal body appealed on Thursday during a press conference, shortly after the Zonal Executive Council (ZEC) meeting held at the Western Hall, House of Assembly Complex, Oyo State Government Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan.

The meeting was attended by the Zonal Vice President, Prince Adewale Adele; National Treasurer, Comrade Gbenga Oluwajuyigbe; Chairmen and Secretaries of Ekiti, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, and Oyo state chapters among other leaders.

The Nation reports that, in November 2023, Parliamentary workers across the country embarked on a nationwide strike to demand the immediate implementation of legislative financial autonomy for the state legislatures.

The industrial action which lasted for three weeks was suspended following a jointly signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) by the Chairmen of the Conference of the Speakers and Nigeria Governors Forum to the effect that legislative financial autonomy for the state legislatures would take effect across the country by 28th February 2024.

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However, the zonal vice president, while speaking said it was disheartening that despite the luxury of time provided by the MoU, legislative financial autonomy for the state legislature is yet to be granted by the governors.

He commended the Governor of Benue State, Rev. Hycathin Alia who recently assented to the legislative fund management law.

He noted that the laudable gesture of the Benue State Governor bears testament to the fact that he’s indeed a democrat who is so passionate about upholding and strengthening the principle of separation of power among the three arms of government in the state.

Prince Adele said: “The suspension of the industrial action then was given the confidence the Association reposed in the negotiators and also in consideration of the essential roles of the legislative Arm in the budget process as states prepare for Y2024 budget estimates.

“The MoU partly read that PASAN is at liberty to resume its strike if the governors renege on the agreement to implement legislative financial autonomy after the expiration of the ultimatum. It is disheartening to note that despite the luxury of time provided by the MoU, legislative financial autonomy for the state legislature is yet to be granted by the governors’.

“The ultimatum given for the implementation of legislative financial autonomy has expired according to the signed agreement with no positive response from the state governors except for Benue.”

He said: “Consequently, the Association considers the non-compliance of the Nigeria Governors Forum with the MoU as a breach of trust and a grave violation of section 121 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).

“We are optimistic that the implementation of full legislative financial autonomy will strengthen the state Houses of Assembly Service Commission, enhance the career progression of the legislative staff and also resolve issues like non-remittance of legislative staff monthly deductions e.g cooperative and pension deductions, non-payment of legislative staff wardrobe allowance, non-implementation of CONLESS as well as other germane issues bothering on the welfare of the parliamentary staffers across the federation.

“To avert another strike which could cripple legislative activities across the nation at this critical economic period, we respectfully call on the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to prevail on the state governors to respect the position of the law on financial autonomy for state legislatures as stipulated in the constitution.

“While we are awaiting further directive from the national secretariat of our union on the next line of action, it is pertinent to state that members of the ZEC of PASAN Southwest will stand firm to vehemently resist any attempt to subvert the quest for the implementation of legislative financial autonomy.”

The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has alleged that there are saboteurs in the administration of President Bola Tinubu bent on frustrating his good intentions.

SSANU also told the government that its members are not slaves and should be paid when they fulfill their contractual obligations, adding that they will continue to agitate and down tools if there is no positive response from the government on their agitations.

National President of SSANU, Comrade Mohammed Ibrahim, stated this at the 47th National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the union at the Federal University of Technology, Akure, FUTA, Ondo State.

Tinubu had recently directed that university workers who were on a prolonged strike in 2022 and were not paid by the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari within the period of the strike should be paid four months of the withheld salaries.

While members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) have been paid the four months of the eight months withheld salaries, the non-teaching staff including SSANU have not received anything, a development that is threatening industrial harmony in the public universities.

The SSANU president urged Tinubu to purge his administration of saboteurs and replace them with people ready to help him deliver on his mandate.

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He said: “The President should understand that he has saboteurs in his government. They are not helping him and the powers of the President and what will make him responsible and responsive to Nigerians is to hire and fire, work with people who can deliver.

“You cannot continue to keep cabal within the system. And you say one thing tomorrow it’s sabotaged. As a union, we raise our voices that presidential pronouncements must be matched with action. We cannot continue to celebrate and clap over speeches. What we want is action.

“Workers in the universities deserve the best. We churn out young men and women to work in the industry to work for the government to be on their own. And I have the course to say that if you spend well on education, you will spend less on insecurity, you will spend less on health challenges, you will spend less on other issues. But when you don’t spend on education, you will continue to spend on defense on insecurity and other frivolities.

“So people should understand and our leaders should know that governance is not a child’s play. If you’re a leader you must be responsive. We have course also to complain about how our state universities are treated.”

The SSANU President said his members are not slaves and can never be, adding that they have a calling and a contract with government and their employers to execute whatever they have agreed to do.

He said: “We do the work that we do. If we work and you don’t pay (us), we agitate. If we agitate and you don’t respond, we must go on strike because it’s lawful and it’s within the ambit of the law and within our rights.”

Nigerian students studying abroad under the Bilateral Education Agreement have appealed to the federal government to address the pressing issue of unpaid stipends which has led to “severe hardship.”

The scholars, who are studying in Russia, Morocco, Algeria, China, Hungary, and a few other countries, appealed to their umbrella body, the coalition of all the Nigerian Bilateral Education Agreement Student Association.

According to the association, for the past six to eight months, scholars enrolled in various institutions abroad have endured financial strain due to the delay in receiving their stipends.

The students appealed to President Bola Tinubu to intervene to ensure the payment of their stipends.

In a statement on Wednesday, March 6, in Abuja, a spokesman of the coalition, Ayuba Yushau the students said: “In addition, from the last payments we received (March-August), there was a shortfall of practically two and a half months’ payment. Moreover, some students in China have not received any stipends since they arrived in April and May 2023.

“This delay has led to dire consequences, especially for those residing in countries like Morocco, where the country doesn’t have adequate provisions for school hostels, unlike the other sister BEA countries. This means that stipends are crucial for covering basic expenses such as housing, electricity bills, handouts, internet bills, water bills, transportation, and food. Regrettably, some students have faced eviction as they struggled to meet rent payments, while others have tragically fallen ill due to hunger, requiring urgent medical attention. These hardships persist amidst the ongoing delay in stipend disbursement.

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“Similarly, students in Russia are grappling with the harsh reality of an increased cost of living, exacerbated by the prolonged delay in stipend disbursement. Forced to navigate financial hardships amidst the pressures of academic stress, many students have been pushed to the breaking point which is diverting their focus from their primary goal of academic excellence.

“Due to the economic reality of the nation, we receive insufficient or no additional support from our parents. Moreover, prohibitions on employment in many of our host BEA Countries restrict our ability to supplement our incomes.

“We implore the Nigerian government to recognise the plight of its scholars abroad and take immediate action to alleviate their suffering. As the nation grapples with economic hardships, it is imperative to prioritise the welfare of our students who represent the future of our country.

“We earnestly plead with our President, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as a father figure and a visionary in education, to intervene in this pressing matter. His intervention in ensuring the prompt disbursement of our stipends will not only alleviate our current hardships but also allow us, his scholars, to focus wholeheartedly on our studies. We are confident that under President Tinubu’s compassionate and forward-thinking leadership, swift action will be taken to resolve this issue, enabling us to continue our academic pursuits without the burden of financial strain.

“The Nigerian Bilateral Educational Agreement Student Association remains committed to engaging constructively with relevant authorities to find swift and equitable solutions to this pressing issue.”