Speaker Accused of Ordering Assault on Assembly Staffs After Strike Suspension.
Umuahia, Nigeria Tension flared at the Abia State House of Assembly on Tuesday as staff members were reportedly assaulted following a directive allegedly issued by Speaker of the House. The incident occurred shortly after workers agreed to suspend an ongoing strike over demands for a reviewed salary structure.
According to staff union representatives, the Speaker had appealed to workers to temporarily call off their industrial action to allow the Governor to present the 2026 Appropriation Bill. Workers claim they were assured that immediately after the budget presentation, the issue of their long-standing salary structure review would be addressed.
However, several staff members alleged that shortly after the Governor concluded his presentation, the promise was abandoned and matters escalated. Witnesses said security personnels attached to the Speaker descended on some employees who attempted to remind House leadership of the agreement reached before the suspension of the strike.
Union leaders described the incident as “a betrayal of trust and an abuse of office,” noting that the workers had suspended their strike purely on the strength of the Speaker’s assurances. They claim the assault was meant to intimidate employees and silence further agitation for wage improvements.
A representative of the staff union, speaking on condition of anonymity, said:
“We suspended the strike in good faith. We wanted the budget to go through for the sake of the state. But immediately after the presentation, they turned their backs on us. The shocking part is that our own leaders ordered attacks on us.”
As of press time, officials of the Abia State House of Assembly had not issued an official response to the allegations. Efforts to reach the Speaker’s office were unsuccessful.
Civil society groups and labour activists in the state have begun calling for an independent investigation into the reported assault, warning that intimidation of government workers could set a dangerous precedent.
Meanwhile, workers are considering reinstating their strike action, insisting that until the Assembly leadership addresses the promised salary structure review and apologizes for the incident, industrial harmony cannot be guaranteed.
The unfolding crisis adds yet another layer of strain to labour government relations in Abia State, with observers warning that failure to resolve the matter promptly could impact legislative operations and the implementation of the newly presented 2026 budget.
