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Comrade Mohammad Sanusi, PASAN National President (third right), on arrival at Asaba International Airport. With him are Comrade Edozien Emmanuel, PASAN Chairman, Delta State; 2nd right, Comrade Marvis Emebradu, 2nd left and other PASAN comrades.

Worried by the distasteful attitude of Governors that has stalled the implementation of financial autonomy for all state Houses of Assembly in the country, Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN), the umbrella body of all employees of the National and State Houses of Assembly, National and State Assembly Service Commissions and all other agencies under these institutions has given a 21-day ultimatum to press its demand for the implementation of the law that granted financial autonomy in all the 36 states of the federation.

A notice of the ultimatum addressed to President Muhammadu Buhari, signed by PASAN’s National President, Muhammad Usman and Secretary, D.D.Y. Sulaiman, accused the state governors of displaying bad taste and exposing themselves as impediments to smooth operation of financial autonomy in the legislative arm of government.

While praising the president for signing into law the financial autonomy bill, as well as the issuance of Executive Order 10 to ensure implementation, the PASAN leaders decried the situation at the state level where governors have continually arm-twisted the Legislature into total submission thus negating the essence of separation of powers in a democracy.

The PASAN leaders said: “It is therefore, needless to say that for there to be a robust legislature at the state level, that the implementation of the legislative Financial Autonomy is pertinent. It is in consideration of the foregoing that PASAN wishes to express her unreserved disgust and dismay with the actions of some Nigerians and institutions particularly the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) for aiming to not only discredit but to exterminate this democratic requisite through frustrating its implementation.

“The union has been magnanimous with the virtue of patience by allowing for ample time so that the Federal Government through His Excellency’s Implementation Committee on financial autonomy for the state Judiciary and Legislature would ensure the implementation of the letters of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for over two years now. Our members have ran out patience and have resolved to forthwith put an end to condoning further delays to the implementation of the financial autonomy for state Houses of Assembly which in itself is a glaring breach of the Nigerian Constitution.”

In affirming PASAN’s continued commitment to serving the nation’s democracy, it observed however that the continuous non-implementation of financial autonomy at the state level is a huge obstacle to the operation of the wheel of democracy and the principle of separation of powers, and with potential to frustrate union members devoted service.

“Consequent upon the foregoing, the Union has resolved to in defense of democracy, issue a 21-day ultimatum to our employers and all other bodies charged with the implementation of the letters of our Constitution (including the Federal Government, the Presidential Implementation Committee on Financial Autonomy for State Judiciary and legislature) to ensure full implementation of financial autonomy in all the 36 states of the federation as provided in Section 121 (3) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and in the Executive Order 10.

“Failure to meet the above demand at the end of the 21-day ultimatum will leave the union with no other option than to direct all the members nationwide to embark on an indefinite strike action. By implication, the nationwide strike action shall see the following institutions shut down:
• The national Assembly;
• The National Assembly Service commission;
• All state Houses of Assembly;
• All State Houses of Assembly Service commission;
• All agencies under (a) – (d) above.