From: Paul Osuyi, Asaba
Workers at the Delta State House of Assembly have again shut the gates leading to the complex, preventing members of the House from carrying out their legislative business.
The protesting workers, under the aegis of Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN), Delta State chapter was as the resumption of an industrial action which they suspended last year.
Chairman of PASAN in the state, Comrade Emmanuel Edozie, alleged that the leadership of the House was insensitive to the demands of the workers by failing to fulfill the promises it made to the workers before the suspension of the strike in the first place.
“We say pay us our 2016 wardrobe allowance and appoint a deputy clerk for us. That position has been vacant since 2015. It has created a vacuum; we are being stagnated in our career in the Assembly Service commission.
“The promises made were not fulfilled. None has been fulfilled. The clinic as we talk now is dead. No drugs; this is despite the promises made. We had suspended the strike because we thought they were telling us the truth.
“But up till now, the money has not been paid; the issue of deputy clerk has not been resolved. We have communicated our resolution to resume the suspended strike to the leadership of the Assembly,” he said.
He accused the House leadership of refusing to dialogue with PASAN “despite several efforts made to engage it. They ignored us, saying that they are not responsible to us,” adding that while the lawmakers get their allowances and entitlements with ease, the entitlements of the workers is not of any importance to them.
“The Speaker is insensitive and adamant to our requests and plight of the workers. He does not carry the phone when calls are made to him,” he alleged.
Although efforts to reach the Speaker, Mr. Monday Igbuya proved abortive, his Chief Press Secretary, Henry Ebireri said in a statement that his boss was very “committed to workers’ welfare,” adding that workers were critical to growth and development.
He advised the workers to stop the antagonistic posture against the leadership of the House, saying that “the issuance of warrant for outfit allowance is not the responsibility of the Speaker or the leadership of the assembly.
“In spite of the current financial crunch, the state is up to date in its obligations to assembly workers. It is appalling that the workers locked all the entrances to the assembly complex and the commission thus barring commission members, political aides and others from entering their offices for normal work over outfit allowance, a matter that is receiving attention from the state government.”