LEGISLATIVES THREATEN STRIKE OVER ALLOWANCES

The legislative aides in the National Assembly on Wednesday issued notice of a 14-day sitting protest over unpaid allowances and entitlements.

The aides, who staged a warning protest at the main lobby of the assembly complex, displayed placards with inscriptions that expressed displeasure over unpaid allowances and entitlements since Oct. 2015.

Speaking on behalf of the aides, Mr. Paul Usembor, said that the protest was a platform to express their grievances to the management of the assembly.

He said, “We need to come out to state our grievances against the management by carrying out a 14 sitting working day protest in line with our advocacy rally which is taking place throughout the month of November until our issues are resolved.”,Usembor explained that the aides resorted to a peaceful protest having exhausted all possible avenues to get the management of the assembly to pay outstanding allowances to about 4, 600 aides.

He said that the aides were owed DTA allowances since Oct. 2015 till date, first 28 days allowance and no training since inception of the 8th assembly.

Similarly, another legislative aide, Mr. Gozie Nwachukwu, said that if nothing is done to meet their demands before Oct. 31, they will down tool.

He said, “If nothing is done between now and Tuesday, all the legislative aides will down tool. And if we down tool it will certainly be a clog in the wheel of the operations of the national assembly.”