Get Guardian on GoogleThe Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) has demanded the immediate release of funds due to local governments in Osun State by the Federal Government. The union blamed the continued withholding of the allocations on the prolonged crisis that has triggered industrial action by council workers.
The union, in a statement signed by its President-General, Aliyu Haruna, and General Secretary, Gambo Isah, condemned the circumstances surrounding the warning strike embarked upon by local council workers in the state from Sunday, November 8, to midnight on Wednesday, November 11, 2026.
This is as the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC), Trade Union Side, has warned that the three-day warning strike by Osun State workers could escalate into a total strike or mass protest if the Federal Government fails to release statutory allocations due to local government areas in the state.
The council, which threw its weight behind the industrial action declared by the Osun State Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), urged the Federal Government to immediately release the funds, withheld since February 2025, to prevent a wider industrial confrontation.
In a statement issued by its National Secretary, Gbenga Olowoyo, yesterday, the council said the continued withholding of the allocations for about 21 months had inflicted severe economic hardship on local government workers and their dependants.
It described the situation as unjustifiable, warning that the prolonged financial restrictions were undermining local government administration and weakening the capacity of the councils to discharge their responsibilities.
The national leadership of JNPSNC, chaired by Benjamin Uyanto, said it had reviewed the circumstances surrounding the strike and considered the action justified in view of the prolonged withholding of the statutory funds.
The council accused the Federal Government of using its political authority in a manner that undermined local government administration, arguing that the situation was particularly troubling under a democratic system.
It said local governments remained the closest tier of government to the people, stressing that weakening their financial capacity amounted to undermining effective governance at the grassroots.
