By Chibuike Nwabuko
Abuja (Sundiata Post) – National Assembly staff under the auspices of Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN) on Tuesday took over the gallary of the national assembly in protest over non-payment of their entitlements and other benefits.
The protesters carrying placards with different inscriptions are threatening to stop the two chambers from sitting today.
Sundiata Post recalls that the PASAN has on Monday hinted of a two-day strike for Tuesday and Wednesday.
The protesters which are sending Senators back with the chanting of “no sitting go back” are calling for the resignation of the Clerk of the National Assembly, (CNA) Mohammed Sani-Omolori.
They said that it is only when they receive alert that that the strike would be called off.
Recall that the CNA had in a statement on Monday, appealed to the management of PASAN to call of its two days proposed strike but to explore dialogue as the national assembly management is addressing their grievances.
The statement reads in part:
“On non-release of some promotion letters, upgrading, conversion and other establishment matters, and out of the 589 letters of promotion, conversion and upgrading sent by NASC, 562 have been released to the respective beneficiaries.
“The 27 pending ones have issues of “promotion into non-existent vacancies, conversion of staff to other cadres in breach of extant guidelines approved by NASC, wrong effective dates of promotion and/or conversion, suspicious career progression records and questions concerning consultancy cadre.
The CNA raised concern that some actions and write-ups by PASAN as a body as well as a few staff acting under PASAN or acting alone should not send impression.
“Your determination to embark on industrial action by all means without exhausting the options available to you is uncalled for, as picketing and strike actions should be the last resort instead of the first in industrial relations”,he said.
The CNA therefore requested PASAN EXCO to immediately call off the proposed picketing and strike action and continue to engage the management of National Assembly on all issues raised in their letter of November 29, 2018, the statement added.
Details Later…