Five leaders of the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN), including their Caretaker Chairman, Mr. Gobina Idrisu, and the spokesperson, Chris Odoh, were today, arrested and detained by the police within the National Assembly complex.
Leaders of the parliamentary workers were arrested for protesting within the complex over none payment of their October salary.
The PASAN, whose members staged the protest during plenary, marched round some of the offices and were heading to the lobby, chanting solidarity song before they were confronted and stopped by the security operatives within the complex.
The protesting PASAN members had put up resistance when the security operatives stopped them from marching towards the floor of the Senate.
A senior Police officer, who was said to have been angered by the action of the union leaders, ordered their arrest.
Drisu, in a statement which he distributed to journalists before he was whisked away, complained about the harsh working condition that his members were being subjected to.
He alleged that National Assembly staff had not been paid their October salary and that the management of the National Assembly had refused to pay them the approved Consolidated Legislative Salary Structure.
He added that both chambers of the National Assembly had passed payment of the CONLESS.
He said that apart from the none payment of one month salary, they were also protesting against what they described as mismanagement, maladministration, misappropriation, corruption and gross insensitivity to the plight of staff by the management of the National Assembly.
“The National Assembly administration has become so bad to the extent that injustice, deprivation and oppression are the order of the day.”
Attempts to speak with the Clerk of the National Assembly, Alhaji Salisu Maikashuwa, was however unsuccessful as he could not be reached on the telephone. [myad]
