Parliamentary workers at the Oyo State House of Assembly under the aegis of Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN) on Tuesday shut down the state Assembly Complex and placed it under locks and keys in protest against non implementation of the Financial Autonomy Law passed by the National Assembly in 2018 and assented by President Mohammadu Buhari through Executive Order 10 in 2020.
Chairman Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria, Mr. Yemi Alade who spoke with journalists confirmed that the union has commenced indefinite strike to pursue the implementation of Executive Order 10 signed by the President last year to effect the law passed by the National Assembly.
Mr. Alade maintained that for the nation to witness true democracy there must be financial autonomy for all arms of government as contained in the Nigerian constitution.
Mr. Alade said the strike will continue until their demands are met, urging Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State to commence the implementation of the Financial Autonomy law without further delay.
It would be recalled that Oyo State House of Assembly in what looked like a landmark achievement for the legislative arm in the state last year also passed the Financial Autonomy Bill titled “Oyo State Legislature Fund Management Bill 2020” into law.
The House passed the bill into law on Tuesday 10th November, 2020 after it scaled through third reading, consequent upon receiving the report of the committee on Public Account, Finance And Appropriation.
The House had sought for Financial Autonomy following the passage of the bill by the National Assembly in order to be able to carry out its duties and functions optimally without having to go cap in hand to the executive arm of government before performing its functions as contained in section four of the 1999 constitution.
The protest at the Oyo State House of Assembly which is said to be ongoing nationwide across the 36 states of the federation however, has strong backing of the State Assembly lawmakers.
The Speaker, Oyo State House of Assembly, Adebo Ogundoyin, while addressing the angry workers noted that the call by the association for the implementation of financial autonomy for the Legislative Arm of Government was a laudable cause and constitutional rights of the workers.
“No state will go about it in different way. Everything will be done in uniform manner. Let me also say that the Speaker’s Forum too will not relent until financial autonomy is achieved,” Ogundoyin said.