Anambra Assembly Staff Commence Indefinite Strike Over Soludo’s Failure to Grant Financial Autonomy

Staff of the Anambra State House of Assembly, organized under the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN), Anambra State Chapter, have initiated an indefinite strike, citing the failure of Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s administration to grant full financial autonomy to the legislative body.

In a circular jointly signed by the union’s Chairman, Mr. Abraham Okoye, and Secretary, Comrade Ugochukwu Obiwulu, the legislative workers declared the industrial action in accordance with directives from the national body of PASAN.

The circular, prominently displayed at the State Assembly complex entrance, highlighted the state government’s reluctance to implement legislative financial autonomy, despite receiving numerous correspondences from both state and national PASAN bodies.

Addressed to Speaker Somtochukwu Udeze, the circular explained that the failure to implement the Memorandum of Understanding, agreed upon with the Nigeria Governors’ Forum via the Conference of Speakers, prompted the National Secretariat of PASAN to instruct all members to commence an indefinite strike from Thursday, March 28, 2024.

Dated March 27, 2024, the letter from PASAN indicated that the strike followed the expiration of the ultimatum issued on March 6, 2024, concerning the full implementation of financial autonomy, as stipulated in Section 121 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.

The Anambra Assembly Complex remained deserted on Thursday, with no staff present on the premises, disrupting the usual Thursday plenary sessions.

Despite adjourning to March 28, 2024, for plenary during the Tuesday, March 26 sitting, the industrial action effectively halted proceedings on Thursday, impacting legislative activities in the state.