NULGE seeks Delta Assembly’s intervention in LG autonomy

The Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Delta State council has asked the state House of Assembly to quickly pass the bill on local governments autonomy when received from the National Assembly.

Members of the union, who made the plea through a peaceful protest to the legislative complex, which witnessed a massive turnout from across the state, was led by the state chairman, Ezikiel Okwudi in company of a national representative and a member of the board of trustees, Luz Owuru.

Receiving the employees, speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Sheriff Oborevwori welcomed the protesters and joined the union members in singing solidarity songs.

While assuring of the house preparedness to address their demands, he appreciated NULGE for the peaceful protest, saying, “I thank all of you for the peaceful agitations. We are in democracy and we welcome peaceful agitations. I will consult with my members when the bill comes to our table.”

While presenting the union’s request to the speaker, Owuru stated that the agitations and complains from the council workers was as a result of the ills in administrative, financial and political structure in the local government system.

His words: “Most councils cannot pay salaries. There is unemployment everywhere and no infrastructure. Hence the workers want to correct the ills.

“More so, realising the constitutional roles of the members and the House of Assembly, we have come to request that the house should join the moving train by granting the local government system autonomy and by voting massively in that regard.”

Speaking, Okwudi said the union was at the House of Assembly to do the needful, adding that Governor Ifeanyi Okowa had given his assurances of granting autonomy to the local government councils when the bill is passed.

He said: “We are here to agitate for local government autonomy in the state because if the House of Assembly do not pass the bill for autonomy, our struggle will be in vain.”