By Haruna Salami
Peace finally returned to the National Assembly complex on Wednesday following intervention of the leadership of the Senate
and House of Representatives that led to the suspension of strike by parliamentary staff association of Nigeria, PASAN.
Protests by (PASAN) had prevented plenary Tuesday which forced most Senators and House of Representatives members to retreat home.
The Senate President, Bukola Saraki, had initially pacified the aggrieved protesters promising that salient demands by PASAN will be addressed in a joint meeting with leadership of the National Assembly and Management of the NASS.
Initially the workers remained adamant when Saraki refrained from categorical statement, particularly on the 28 percent increase in CONLESS by the protesters, who shouted “no alert no work”.
But speaking separately with newsmen, the Senate leader, Ahmed Lawan and House leader, Femi Gbajabiamila assured that PASAN has “suspended and will suspend the strike”.
Lawan added that “as the leaders of the National Assembly and indeed as members of the National Assembly we are interested in seeing and having our staff that are very well trained, focus and productive. And therefore we identify with those issues raised by PASAN”.
Lawan stated that the protest by PASAN was not against members of the National Assembly, stressing that it was against management of the National Assembly, adding that they only intervened as leaders in the National Assembly to ensure that the management of the National Assembly and PASAN “find a common ground, good environment that will enable us perform our legislative activities”.