Benue Assembly Grounded As Staff Embark On Strike.

 

ACTIVITIES at the Benue State House of Assembly yesterday came a to halt as the staff of the legislative house staged a demonstration to mark the beginning of their industrial action in protest of nonpayment of their outfit allowances.

 

The industrial action, which is coming while Nigerians are preparing for the celebration of independence, commenced after a 7 day ultimatum was issued by the national secretariat of the Parliamentary Association of Nigeria (PASAN). 

 

This is in regards to the nonpayment of the outfit allowances of the staff which has accumulated for four years.

 

Earlier the national secretariat of the association issued a seven day ultimatum to the Speaker of the Benue assembly for an indefinite strike action if they failed to pay the said allowances, which has accumulated to about N63 million.

 

The letter of ultimatum was released after the first ultimatum of 14 days was handed over by the body with claims that the state’s Finance Commissioner and the Accountant General were reluctant in releasing funds for the payment of the outfit allowances owed staff of the assembly, which they said was approved by the governor since July 1, 2011.

 

Addressing the staff, Speaker of the Benue State’s House of Assembly, Hon. Terhemen Tarzor, regretted the incident but said the state’s government is working tirelessly to ensure that the allowance is cleared within the shortest possible time.

 

The speaker, who noted that he had been on top of the situation since the problem started but could not control variables that are out of hand.

 

He added that the delay in payment of the allowances was due to the delay from the Federal Allocation to the state which is the only major source of revenue to the state.


Source   the Moment.