NULGE urges members to boycott work ahead of sacked council bosses resumption today

• No cause for alarm, says ALGON
• We will insist on observance of constitution, says Oyo govt

The controversy on the sacking of local council chairmen in Oyo State is taking another dimension as the Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) in the state has directed its members to stay away from work ahead of today’s resumption of the sacked All Progressives Congress (APC) chairmen.

But the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria in the state said there was no cause for alarm.

The directive was given by the helmsman of the union in the state, Adebayo Titilola-Sodo, after an emergency meeting with the union members held at the weekend at the union secretarial in Ibadan.

Titilola-Sodo: “We have been getting series of disturbing information from all quarters but we don’t know its authenticity, and we have reason to be apprehensive to the safety of our members in case they go to work and there is a clash between the two parties.

“Today, we had a meeting in order to safeguard the lives of our people and ensure their security. They should keep themselves away from work until the issue is resolved and we know the exalt person we are working for.”

He emphasised that no NULGE member in Oyo State should be at work today till further notice, and until the unclear situation is cleared and their security and safety is guaranteed.

He said that there was a similar case few months ago where one party wanted to take over the secretariat when other party was still occupying the seat, and there was confrontation where some NULGE members were beaten and injured.

The ALGON, through its state chairman, Ayodeji Abass-Alesinloye, said “democracy grows and thrives on the observance of the rule of law and popular participation for peace, justice and development to be entrenched in our society.”

In a statement made available to The Guardian in Ibadan yesterday, Abass-Alesinloye said: “ALGON wishes to allay the fears or any unnecessary anxiety of NULGE, Oyo State, all local council workers and the good people of Oyo State as the democratically-elected chairmen and councillors return peacefully to their duty-posts to perform our constitutional duties to the grassroots in obedience to the electoral mandate of the people of Oyo State.

Meanwhile, Oyo State Government yesterday declared that it would insist on the full observance of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) regarding the dissolution of the local council chairmen in the state.

A statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Seyi Makinde, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, maintained that government’s position became imperative following the threats of violence by the sacked chairmen and the stay-at-home order issued to all local council workers in the state by NULGE.

The statement maintained that though government would not begrudge the NULGE for directing its members to stay away from work in response to persistent threats emanating from the sacked chairmen, it urged all workers in the state to reject any act of brigandage by persons or groups seeking to derail the peace and progressive governance in the state.