Drama unfolded at the Abia State House of Assembly on Tuesday as lawmakers, led by Deputy Speaker Austin Okezie Mmeregini, forcibly entered the Assembly Complex despite an ongoing strike by the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN).
PASAN Chairman Kalu Sunday alleged that the lawmakers’ actions put members’ lives at risk, claiming they broke through the gate when told security personnel with keys were absent. The union had been on strike over the government’s failure to implement the Consolidated Legislative Salary Structure (CONLESS).
Sunday stated that PASAN members had complied with the national directive to strike, and the lawmakers’ insistence on holding a session was intimidation. The PASAN Chairman emphasized that any legislative session held under these circumstances is illegal, as there were no clerks, messengers, or official staff on duty.
The strike is part of PASAN’s demands for financial autonomy, CONLESS, and administrative autonomy, which the Abia State government has yet to implement. Journalists covering the incident were allegedly harassed by a senior government aide, Hon. Luke Ukara, who insisted media personnel needed authorization to enter the Assembly premises.