Tension In National Assembly: Management Warns PASAN Members Against Strike

The management of the National Assembly (NASS) has issued a stern warning to parliamentary workers threatening to stage a protest and picket the legislative complex as lawmakers prepare to resume plenary on Tuesday.

The caution follows agitation from members of the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN), who have threatened industrial action over unresolved welfare concerns and alleged breaches of the union’s constitution.

In a circular released on Sunday by the Secretary of Human Resources and Staff Development, Essien Eyo Essien, on behalf of the Clerk to the National Assembly (CNA), Kamoru Ogunlana, management warned that any attempt to disrupt legislative business would attract “severe disciplinary measures.”

The circular stressed that union membership was voluntary, stating:
“Any staff member, whether executive or ordinary, dissatisfied with union affairs is free to withdraw membership in line with established rules.”

Essien further noted that the current management, within seven months of assuming office, had embarked on reforms to boost efficiency and staff welfare. He urged all workers to ignore calls for strike, sit-at-home, or picketing, assuring them of their safety and security within the Assembly complex.

“Staff are hereby directed to disregard any invitation to participate in unlawful industrial action, including work-to-rule or picketing,” the circular read. “Management will not hesitate to impose strict disciplinary measures on any staff who defies this directive.”

The warning came in response to a petition dated October 3, 2025, from a group under the banner of Concerned PASAN Members. The group accused management of intimidating unionists who demanded accountability and compliance with the PASAN Constitution (2015).

Signed by M.C. Odo, Yusuf Mohammed Abiola, and Chinenye Peace Nda, the petition alleged that workers were being queried and threatened with suspension for insisting that union executives present audited accounts to congress as legally required.

They accused management of undermining internal democracy within the union by recognising executives removed by congress, thereby violating due process.

Beyond union matters, the petitioners raised welfare grievances, including:

• Correction of salary shortfalls;

• Remittance of statutory deductions such as taxes, pensions, and housing fund;

• Full implementation of the Consolidated Legislative Salary Structure (CONLESS);

• Payment of allowances (rent subsidy, leave, hazard, and medical benefits);

• Implementation of the 40% consolidated peculiar allowance approved in 2023;

• Provision of official vehicles for directors and buses for junior staff;

• Expanded training and capacity development;

• Enforcement of the National Assembly Service Pension Board Act, 2023;

• Immediate application of the new minimum wage and consequential adjustments.

With plenary set to resume Tuesday, tension continues to rise within the Assembly complex, as workers’ threats of protest raise fears of possible disruption to legislative activities.