Taraba State chapter of the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN), yesterday, embarked on an indefinite strike over unpaid outfit allowance.
Commencing few days to the presentation of the 2023 budget by Governor Darius Ishaku, the industrial action may affect the passing of the budget by the legislators.

A statement by the association’s Chairman, Ibrahim Yusuf, and Secretary, Abdullahi Abubakar, explained that the decision to embark on the strike was taken following the alleged failure of the state government to heed the union’s ultimatum.

Wondering why the state government under Ishaku has not deemed it necessary to offset their members’ outfit allowance since he came on board seven years ago, they vowed not to call off the strike until the outfit allowance is paid.

They have, therefore, vowed not to succumb to intimidation and to see to it that no staff is allowed in to the premises of the House of Assembly.The statement reads: “Sequel to the expiration of the seven-day ultimatum issued to the leadership of this Assembly on issues that borders on the outfit allowance, the leadership of this famous union has no option than to direct members of this union to stay away from work from Monday, November 7, 2022.”

Citing other states’ parliamentary workers, whose outfit allowance had not been toyed with by the state government, some of the union members expressed sadness that the reverse “is always the case in Taraba.”

Apart from the alleged inability of Ishaku’s administration to pay their outfit allowance, the workers also expressed sadness at the dilapidated office accommodation.

The workers said: “We have not had it this bad.” They paid glowing tribute to the administrations of Jolly Nyame and the late Danbaba Suntai, whom they said worked tirelessly to carry the workers along in their regimes.