The leadership of the National Assembly ( NASS ) has said the Nigeria Police and the Department of State Services (DSS) should be held responsible if President Buhari is not allowed to present the 2019 Appropriation Budget scheduled for Wednesday due to the four-day industrial action by the National Assembly workers.
The workers have however vowed to continue with the warning strike as the main gate to the National Assembly remained partially locked.
Though water and power supplies have been restored, workers are having difficulty gaining access to the complex.
Most motorists were observed to be using the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) gate to access the complex.
But DSS operatives at the SGF gate have however refused to allow anyone with National Assembly identity card through their gate.
In a statement on Monday night, after a meeting with the management of the National Assembly led by the Clerk, Muhammadu Sani-Omolori, Senate President Bukola Saraki and Speaker Yakubu Dogara said the management has made sufficient efforts to address rue grievance of the striking workers.
The meeting, conveyed at the instance of Saraki and Dogara was to assess the situation and efforts made so far by the management to address the grievances of the striking staff.
The political leadership, as such, directed the security agencies to secure the National Assembly for legislators to carry out their duties from this morning.
The statement signed by Omolori reads, โThe leadership of the National Assembly called the meeting because they know that almost all the issues raised by the striking workers were being addressed by the management.
โAnd after listening to the CNA, it was unanimously agreed that the management had made sufficient plans and efforts to address all the grievances of the workers and ensure their happiness.
โWe were sure that the issues raised by the workers have been well attended to and that it is necessary for the business of the National Assembly to continue without any disturbance.
โBoth chambers must hold their normal plenary tomorrow morning to prepare the ground for the visit of President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday, December 19, 2018 to present the budget proposal to the joint sitting of the Senate and the House of Representatives.
โWe have therefore mandated the security agencies to perform their duty of maintaining law and order in the National Assembly Complex and its surrounding.
โThey must enforce the laws which allow the striking workers to down tools if they choose to and also the ones which restrain them from disturbing those who choose to work or stop parliamentarians from entering the chambers or their offices to do the work for which they were elected.
โSenators and members of the House of Representatives, their aides, other workers and people who have legitimate business within the National Assembly Complex are therefore advised to come in as they will be free to operate without any hindrance and molestation.
โIf President Buhari is unable to present the budget proposal on Wednesday as scheduled Nigerians should hold the security agencies responsible for failing in the performance of their duties.โ
