Friday, 29th March 2024
To guardian.ng
Search
Breaking News:

NULGE begins protest over local government autonomy

By Abel Abogonye, Lafia
17 March 2017   |   4:07 am
The Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) has begun its nationwide rally demanding for local governments’ autonomy in the country.

NULGE president, Comrade Ibrahim Khaleel

The Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) has begun its nationwide rally demanding for local governments’ autonomy in the country.

The rally which started on Wednesday in Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital, for the North-Central had all the states in the zone and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja in attendance.

President of NULGE, Comrade Ibraheem Khaleel while addressing the delegates at the township stadium in Lafia said the protest became necessary because the only language the government understands was that of protest.

“We are here today to commence our scheduled nationwide protest demanding for the autonomy of the local government system in Nigeria. Employees of local governments in Nigeria have been marginalized for too long.

“We are demanding for scrapping of the joint account committee, an end to illegal deductions from local governments’ allocation, adherence to fourth schedule on local governments in respect of revenue sources, among other things,” he said.

Comrade Khaleel also bemoaned the negative effects of the economic recession on the staff of local governments, adding they were the worst hit.

Also speaking, Comrade Sunday, a representative of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) lamented that governors were responsible to the failure of local government system in the country.

He argued that if the Federal Government was serious about its anti-corruption fight and end the current recession, local governments must be given autonomy.

He alleged that most governors now claim that there was no money in their states to pay workers’ salaries but they own estates and fat foreign accounts in Dubai and other countries.

The protesters first headed for Government House, Lafia where Governor Tanko Al-Makura reportedly declined to address the workers.

Khaleel assured that the protest would continue and will be held in all the six geopolitical zones of the country and will end in Abuja with the final rally.

In this article

0 Comments