Our Reporter
Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PSAN) has accused governors of the 36 states of the federation of working against the actualisation financial autonomy for state legislatures. In a communiqué at the end of its meeting in Abuja, the association also accused Speakers of State Houses of Assembly of showing non-charlatan attitude to the actualisation of financial autonomy.
National President of the association, Comrade Mohammed Usman, who read the communiqué, said PSAN may be left with no other option than to fight for autonomy for state legislatures if nothing is done to implement the Executive Order 10 signed by President Muhammadu Buhari on financial autonomy for state legislatures. Mohammed said they may be forced to shut down all the 36 States Houses of Assembly.
He said “It is unfortunate that after the issuance of Order 10, the governors are still relenting in implementing it. We believe that financial autonomy is what will give the legislators independent and strengthen the legislature and democracy. But it is unfortunate that the state governors are kicking an issue, which is contained in the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria. This same constitution brought them to power and so, we have been patiently waiting for the implementation of the autonomy. But up until this very moment, nothing has been done about it.
“We blame the Speakers Forum who have shown nonchalant attitude towards the realization of the financial autonomy. On our part as Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria, we have looked at it vividly and decided to come up with our resolution. We will seek for independence by ourselves if Speakers of the State Houses of Assembly cannot do this. It is so unfortunate that we have to go this far. But I think this is just the best way to tackle these issues. We will fight for our independence, and if the needful is not done, we will take a step further.”
