By PAMELA EBOH, Awka

Staff members of the Anambra State House of Assembly, under the umbrella body of Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN), on Monday commenced on an indefinite strike.

Voicing their anger, the chairman of PASAN in the state, Mr Abraham Okoye, said the strike was necessitated to drive home their demand for a financial autonomy of the legislative arm of government.

The Chairman in an interview with journalists said the indefinite strike was as a result the inability of the executive arm of various states to accord full financial autonomy to the legislative arm.

He said: “The association has issued a 21 day ultimatum, followed by another seven days notice, but regretfully, the state governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, was yet to make any move towards implementation of the demand.

“Section 121 of the constitution as amended, provides that the three arms of government must be autonomous from each other to make way for separation of powers and checks and balances.

“Since the number one agenda of the governor of Anambra State is rule of law and order, it is only proper for him to show example with the granting of full autonomy to the legislature."

While saying that the continued delay in the process has adversely affected the operations of the legislative staff in many ways, he described as shameful that the State Assembly, with 29 standing committees had only one operational vehicle with poor Infrastructures.

Meanwhile, the workers of the legislative arm of government who earlier reported to work were barred by the union’s taskforce from accessing the assembly complex.

The state governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo is yet to speak on the matter.