Delta State House of Assembly Staff Downs Tools Again, Lock up Premises Indefinitely

The striking workers prevented lawmakers, political aides, visitors and other assembly commission staff from accessing their office since Tuesday, February 14, 2016.

The workers under the aegis of Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN) denied the lawmakers access to the assembly complex, accusing them of not meeting to their earlier agreement concerning their welfare package.

Delta State House of Assembly PASAN Chairman, Comrade Edozie Emmanuel said that the workers had to resume the suspended strike action because the Assembly leadership, had “failed to fulfill the promises made to the workers have not been fulfilled.”

He said: “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. 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 are human beings and we’ve endured enough, they cant continue to fool us.”

It will be recalled that in November 2016, a similar strike action was embarked on grounding activities at the complex for about a week.

Addressing newsmen at that occasion, Chairman of PASAN DTHA,  said the workers would not go back to work until their demands were met. Edozie alleged that apart from the non-payment of impress and running cost and that his members were receiving very poor medical attention at the Assembly clinic.

He said: “Since February 2016, there is no single drugstore at the Assembly clinic and this is affecting the staff. In the past two months, we have lost about four of our members. What is happening is not good for the system. We said at least, let some drugs be provided, they refused. Again, one doctor cannot service the Assembly staff, the members, their relatives and the Assembly Service Commission. So, we need another doctor.

“Appointment of a Deputy Clerk is another problem. Since the Deputy Clerk retired last year, the vacuum has not been filled. And there is a law passed by the same House for that position. We need a Deputy Clerk, who is a staff and not a politician.”

As at the time of this report, Human and vehicular movement have been denied access into the complex and security agents have been deployed to forestall any break down of law and order.