The Nasarawa State chapter of the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN) has shut down the state legislature to demand financial autonomy for the assembly.

Their action is in compliance with a nationwide strike ordered by the national body of the association over the demand for financial autonomy of state legislatures across the country.

Suleiman Oshafu, the union’s chairman, stated this while briefing journalists on Monday in Lafia.

Mr Oshafu urged the state governors to do the needful by implementing financial autonomy for the State Houses of Assembly.

Mr Oshafu recalled that former President Muhammadu Buhari signed an executive order granting the financial autonomy of the state assemblies in 2020.

“What we want from the government is that all state legislatures must be granted financial autonomy.

“This strike is nationwide, an indefinite strike,” he said.

Members of the association carried different placards reading: “No going back on financial autonomy”, “Financial autonomy is constitutionally guaranteed”, “Give us our financial autonomy now”, “No Autonomy, no legislator and no work”, and “Autonomy the only solution to vibrant legislation”, among others.

Similarly, parliamentary staff closed down the Edo State House of Assembly over the non-implementation of financial autonomy in legislative houses.

At the demonstration, the PASAN state chairman, Umaru Farouk Haruna, said, “The issue of autonomy is a constitutional matter. You know it has been passed by the National Assembly and was assented to by the immediate past president, Muhammadu Buhari.

“All we need is for the government to start implementation. But as we speak today, nothing has been done. The 36 states of Houses of Assembly, you can call them rubber stamps. They can’t stand on their feet simply because they are not autonomous. We are not just fighting for the staff; we are fighting to deepen the dividends of democracy for Nigerians.

“The essence of separation of power is when autonomy is in operation, but as we speak today, the governors are doing whatever they like, and nobody is asking them questions. The Houses of Assembly dare not speak because they are not autonomous bodies. This is the struggle we are in.”

(NAN)