Parliamentary workers seek financial autonomy for state assemblies

Parliamentary workers have called for financial autonomy of the 36 state houses of assembly.

The call was made in a communiqué issued at the end of the 17th National Executive Committee meeting of the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria held in Abuja over the weekend.

The communiqué, jointly signed by the association’s president, Mohammed Usman, and the acting secretary, Louis Okeleke, commended President Muhammadu Buhari for taking the initiative to ensure financial autonomy at the state level.

The communiqué read in part: “Parliamentary workers nationwide are determined to see to the implementation of financial autonomy for Houses of Assembly and are prepared to take legitimate steps towards its actualisation.

“That NEC in session, call on all relevant stakeholders to put necessary machinery in place to ensure the implementation of financial autonomy for state legislatures latest by the 31st of December 2019.

“On this note, the union calls on speakers of all States Houses of Assembly to pass the Funds Management Law and other necessary legislations that will enable the smooth implementation of financial autonomy for the various State legislatures.”

“That NEC further extends its gratitude to the leadership of the National Assembly for its determination towards the passage and subsequent implementation of the Financial Autonomy Act”.