Osun Assembly workers shut Assembly gate, demand legislative autonomy

Members of the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN) on Tuesday shut the gate of the Assembly complex to demand for the implementation of financial legislative autonomy for State assemblies.

The parliamentary staff carried placards with various inscriptions such as “Governor Adeleke Obey the Constitution”, “No Financial Autonomy No Retreat”, “Staff Welfare is Not Negotiable “, “Full Implementation of Financial Autonomy for the of Assembly our Demand” amongst others.

According to them, their action was in compliance with the directive from its national body to protest the refusal of the state government to grant financial autonomy to the state legislature.

The Osun PASAN chairman, Akeem Adesina, who led other executives of the association to address journalists said, “Osun State Government has acceded to 90 percent of the chapter’s demands but we frown at the position of some state governments across the nation on the financial autonomy of the State Houses of Assembly.

“The issue at hand is a constitutional matter which must be dealt with accordingly.”

Adesina appealed to members to comply with the directive to foster the development of state legislatures.

Addressing the journalists, the Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Osun State House of Assembly, Adekunle Oladimeji noted that the issue is general and not limited to Osun.

Oladimeji confirmed that the Speaker of the House, Adewale Egbedun, had met the PASAN executives on the issue.

He noted that Financial legislative autonomy would further strengthen the activities of the legislative arm of government to serve as checks to other arms of government.”