The Parliamentary Association of Nigeria (PASAN), Delta State chapter, has given the Delta State House of Assembly 21 days ultimatum to meet their demands or it will go on strike. Members of the association are worried that the lawmakers have so much money to spend in prosecuting their re-election to the House, National Assembly, governorship position and other elective positions but are pretending that the association members don’t deserve to be well treated.
PASAN had, on October 14, given an ultimatum, which the House was said to have ignored, even as the association regarded the action of the House as deliberate.
Members of the association have insisted that their annual wardrobe allowance should be paid alongside that of the political appointees.
State PASAN Chairman of the association, Comrade McCartney Obrotu, and his Secretary, Emmanuel Osunbor, insisted that disruption of legislative business by the association would have no end until the leadership of the House adjusts and starts maintain the status quo.
They accused the House leadership of paying lip service to the welfare of the association’s members by hoarding their allowances unduly, halting training and retraining, staff promotion and car and housing allowances, regretting that as at Wednesday, only five per cent of their demands have been met.
In a letter dated November 11, 2014, addressed to the Chairman, Delta State House of Assembly Service Committee, and signed by Obrotu and Osumbor, they threatened that seven-day notice would further be given for their demands to be met in accordance with the provisions of the Trade Dispute Act of Nigeria.
“The political class in the House is maltreating the civil servants, treating them as inconsequential beings.” They added that they deliberately refused to see members of the association as complementary part of the system.
“At the expiration of this notice, the union shall embark on a three days warning strike. The congress of PASAN has deliberated on the matters arising from an earlier ultimatum issued on 14th October, 2014 with their demands,’’ Obrotu stated. [myad]
