From Oche Matthew, Asaba
The Speaker Delta State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Monday Igbuya and a member of the protesting Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN) yesterday exchange blows at the gate of the Assembly complex.
The association members had since Monday this week barricaded the Assembly complex over their unpaid remunerations.
The state chairman of the association, Comrade Emmanuel Edozien, had just reeled out the grievances of his members when the Speaker’s convoy arrived the scene.
Edozien, who noted that over 12 members of the association have died in active service without due recognition by the House since 2008, lamented that the Speaker was insensitive to their plights of the staff.
Trouble however started when the protesters in an attempt to prevent the Speaker’s convoy from gaining entry into the Assembly complex through the VIP gate, as a member of the association, simply identified as Buchi, said, “he would rather die than allowing the Speaker to enter his office.”
Following the action, the Speaker alighted from his Lexus Jeep and angrily told Buchi to give way or risk being manhandled.
Buchi’s refusal made the Speaker throw the first blow at him, which the former returned in kind.
It took the prompt intervention of his security details and other security operatives at the Assembly complex before the Speaker realised himself,
The protest had hindered the planned speedy passage of the budget proposal of over N270 billion for 2017 by Governor Okowa as the lawmakers could not sit for days.
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