Financial Autonomy: Judicial, Legislative Workers Give Fresh Conditions to Suspend Strike

•Insist outstanding allocations are paid
•Say pact must be backed by law

Striking judicial and legislative workers have given fresh
conditions to suspend their industrial action, insisting that the
federal government should prevail on governors to immediately
release all outstanding allocations due to the other two arms of
government, still in their custody since the beginning of the
year.

The workers restated that they would not negotiate the
provisions of the constitution on financial autonomy for the two
arms of government and demanded that the governors should
immediately set in motion the process of establishing the fund
allocation committees in all the states.

Our correspondent gathered that the leadership of the Judiciary
Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) and Parliamentary Staff Association
of Nigeria (PASAN) made the demands in a written response to the
proposals made by state governors and the federal government on how
to resolve the dispute over financial autonomy for the judiciary
and legislature in each state of the federation.

The federal government and the governors of the 36 states had
earlier agreed on a revenue-sharing formula to resolve the raging
dispute over the full implementation of financial autonomy for
state judiciaries and legislatures.

The new proposal, which was given to the leadership of both the
workers’ unions at a conciliatory meeting last Thursday in Abuja,
sought to replicate the federal revenue-sharing structure in the
states.

Recall that under the new template, the governors would
establish, within 45 days of the agreement, States Accounts
Allocation Committee (SAAC) to share revenues among the executive,
the judiciary and the legislature, the same way the Federal
Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) shares revenue between the
federal, states and local government councils.

But in their response to the government’s proposal, which was
submitted to the Ministry of Labour and Employment on Tuesday, the
striking workers also demanded that a law be immediately enacted to
back the implementation of any agreement reached with the
governors.

A top official of one of the unions told THISDAY that the
workers were also demanding that “in consonance with the Executive
Order 10, that whatever monies that are in the possession of the
governors and are yet to be disbursed should be disbursed
immediately.”

He added that the unions are also insisting that there should be
uniformity of the law setting up the fund allocation committees to
ensure a common template for revenue sharing in all the 36 states
of the federation.

The official said: “We demand that there should be a law in all
the states to back up the revenue-sharing template. In addition, in
consonance with Executive Order 10, the governors should also
ensure that whatever that is their hands that they have not
disbursed are released. They should disburse it immediately. They
should put in motion the process of setting up the State Fund
Allocation Committee as proposed.

“There should be uniformity in the law setting up the revenue
sharing template in all the states. We don’t want a variant of the
law. It doesn’t matter what a state generates. We know that every
state will not have the same amount because some of the states earn
derivation fund. What is important is that the sharing formula is
the same.”

On having the governors as signatories to any agreement reached
to resolve the financial autonomy dispute, the source said JUSUN
and PASAN insisted that each state governor should sign the
agreement by himself and not through a third party.

Meanwhile, in continuation of negotiations to end the dispute,
the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, on Tuesday
held a meeting with the representative of the Nigeria Governors’
Forum and Plateau State Governor, Mr. Simon Lalong, on how to
respond to issues raised by the striking workers.

Our correspondent learnt that the meeting followed the receipt
of a written response by the workers to an earlier offer made by
the governors in a bid to resolve the lingering dispute.

It was learnt that Ngige, Lalong and others were not able to
trash out the issues and had agreed to meet again yesterday
(Wednesday) in order to allow for wider consultations.

Our correspondent also learnt that a meeting with the leadership
of the workers may be convened tomorrow to iron out the remaining
issues with a view to secure the suspension of the strike.

JUSUN and PASAN have been on strike for over one month.

The unions are seeking the full implementation of the
constitutionally guaranteed financial autonomy for state
legislatures and judiciaries.

•Insist outstanding allocations are paid
•Say pact must be backed by law

Striking judicial and legislative workers have given fresh
conditions to suspend their industrial action, insisting that the
federal government should prevail on governors to immediately
release all outstanding allocations due to the other two arms of
government, still in their custody since the beginning of the
year.

The workers restated that they would not negotiate the
provisions of the constitution on financial autonomy for the two
arms of government and demanded that the governors should
immediately set in motion the process of establishing the fund
allocation committees in all the states.

Our correspondent gathered that the leadership of the Judiciary
Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) and Parliamentary Staff Association
of Nigeria (PASAN) made the demands in a written response to the
proposals made by state governors and the federal government on how
to resolve the dispute over financial autonomy for the judiciary
and legislature in each state of the federation.

The federal government and the governors of the 36 states had
earlier agreed on a revenue-sharing formula to resolve the raging
dispute over the full implementation of financial autonomy for
state judiciaries and legislatures.

The new proposal, which was given to the leadership of both the
workers’ unions at a conciliatory meeting last Thursday in Abuja,
sought to replicate the federal revenue-sharing structure in the
states.

Recall that under the new template, the governors would
establish, within 45 days of the agreement, States Accounts
Allocation Committee (SAAC) to share revenues among the executive,
the judiciary and the legislature, the same way the Federal
Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) shares revenue between the
federal, states and local government councils.

But in their response to the government’s proposal, which was
submitted to the Ministry of Labour and Employment on Tuesday, the
striking workers also demanded that a law be immediately enacted to
back the implementation of any agreement reached with the
governors.

A top official of one of the unions told THISDAY that the
workers were also demanding that “in consonance with the Executive
Order 10, that whatever monies that are in the possession of the
governors and are yet to be disbursed should be disbursed
immediately.”

He added that the unions are also insisting that there should be
uniformity of the law setting up the fund allocation committees to
ensure a common template for revenue sharing in all the 36 states
of the federation.

The official said: “We demand that there should be a law in all
the states to back up the revenue-sharing template. In addition, in
consonance with Executive Order 10, the governors should also
ensure that whatever that is their hands that they have not
disbursed are released. They should disburse it immediately. They
should put in motion the process of setting up the State Fund
Allocation Committee as proposed.

“There should be uniformity in the law setting up the revenue
sharing template in all the states. We don’t want a variant of the
law. It doesn’t matter what a state generates. We know that every
state will not have the same amount because some of the states earn
derivation fund. What is important is that the sharing formula is
the same.”

On having the governors as signatories to any agreement reached
to resolve the financial autonomy dispute, the source said JUSUN
and PASAN insisted that each state governor should sign the
agreement by himself and not through a third party.

Meanwhile, in continuation of negotiations to end the dispute,
the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, on Tuesday
held a meeting with the representative of the Nigeria Governors’
Forum and Plateau State Governor, Mr. Simon Lalong, on how to
respond to issues raised by the striking workers.

Our correspondent learnt that the meeting followed the receipt
of a written response by the workers to an earlier offer made by
the governors in a bid to resolve the lingering dispute.

It was learnt that Ngige, Lalong and others were not able to
trash out the issues and had agreed to meet again yesterday
(Wednesday) in order to allow for wider consultations.

Our correspondent also learnt that a meeting with the leadership
of the workers may be convened tomorrow to iron out the remaining
issues with a view to secure the suspension of the strike.

JUSUN and PASAN have been on strike for over one month.

The unions are seeking the full implementation of the
constitutionally guaranteed financial autonomy for state
legislatures and judiciaries.