The Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) has called on President Bola Tinubu to urgently implement the Supreme Court judgment granting full autonomy to local governments nationwide.
This is contained in a communiqué signed by Mr Aliyu Kankara, President-General of NULGE, and issued at the end of the union’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting on Tuesday in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that over a year after the Supreme Court ruling was delivered, it has yet to be enforced by the Federal Government.
According to the communiqué, the NEC-in-session urged the government to take immediate steps toward implementing the judgment without further delay.
“This undue delay undermines the principles of democracy and denies the people at the grassroots the numerous benefits associated with the autonomy of local government administration.
“It is expected that a democratic and people-oriented government should abide by the tenets of democracy and respect the rule of law,” the statement read.
The union also condemned the seizure of local government allocations in Osun State, describing the action as unjust and detrimental to grassroots development.
“The unlawful seizure of funds has crippled service delivery, distorted development plans, and worsened the suffering of Osun people,” it added.
On workers’ welfare, NULGE expressed concern over the non-implementation of the national minimum wage in some states.
“It described the failure as callous and unfair, especially given the current harsh economic realities.
“This inaction is unfair to our members, who are crucial to the development of the third tier of government, particularly during these challenging times.
“We urge these governments to review and improve their wage structures to ensure fair compensation for local government workers.”
The NEC further called on the Federal Government to intervene in the Osun political crisis and ensure the immediate restoration of the seized local government allocations, in the interest of peace, justice, and sustainable development.
Regarding the recent demolition of NULGE’s national secretariat, the union has appealed to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory to intervene and ensure redress.
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