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Tag: NULGE

  • Gunmen kidnap NULGE boss

    Gunmen have kidnapped the Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) in Isiala Ngwa North Local Government Area of Abia State, Comrade Wachukwu Okechukwu.

    Eyewitnesses said the victim was abducted on Tuesday at Nbawsi in Isiala Ngwa North Local Government, at about 10:15pm, at his elder brother’s viewing centre, where he had gone to watch the Champions League semi-final match between Liverpool and Barcelona.

    Unconfirmed reports have it that two candidates in the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) were hit by stray bullets, as the kidnappers shot sporadically into the air while taking Okechukwu away.

    A source, who pleaded anonymity, said one of the candidates identified as Ebere, 19, an indigene of Umunkolo Nbawsi, reportedly died yesterday following the injuries he sustained. The other candidate is in a critical condition at a medical facility.

    The source said the kidnappers were yet to ask for a ransom, adding that the car of the victim was later recovered where it was abandoned at Umuala junction.

    Police spokesman Geoffrey Ogbonna said he was yet to receive an official information on the matter.

  • NULGE: governors frustrating plans for local govt autonomy

    The Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) has accused the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) of frustrating plans for financial autonomy for local government.

    The union said at its 40th anniversary celebration in Abuja that the governors were opposing the passage of the council autonomy Bill. The forum, “it said, was doing everything to truncate the people’s will on the matter.

    The union’s President, Ibrahim Khaleel, said the leadership of the union had directed their members at the state level to mobilise towards ensuring that opposing governors were voted out during the 2019 governorship elections.

    According to him, after the National Assembly approved local government autonomy and passed to states assemblies to also perform their constitutional role, 12 states approved the provision and passed it.

    He, however, regretted that as soon as the Governors Forum realised that the states were passing the bill, it intervened and summoned a meeting with Speakers of the state assemblies.

    He pointed out that the bill was  alive, adding that the union is strategising anew to ensure its passage soon. Part of what we are expecting to achieve tomorrow by bringing our membership from all the 774 local governments under one roof, look at our journey so far, our challenges and the way forward certainly is to have a fresh mandate, fresh resolution and eject more energy into our struggle to see how we can engage politicians across the board on how to achieve this even before 2019 election and we believe strongly that this struggle is achievable because the bill is alive at the state Assembly.

    “So, what we need is strong push and more so that the bill that was transmitted along this bill that frees state assembly from financial control of the state government are already being assented to by the President.

    ‘’So, the state Assembly are free to decide and do their work as legislatures without much interference from the state governors,” he said.

    Khaleel argued the local government workers were the most discriminated class of workers.

  • NASS committed to local government autonomy, says Saraki

    Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki said on Monday that the fight to free local government autonomy from the clutches of state government governors and to grant financial autonomy to the third tier of government  in the country was a fight that should not be left to local government workers alone as it will enhance development and deepen democracy in the country.

    The Senate President said local government workers should not lose hope of attaining financial autonomy, assuring them that the National Assembly will do everything possible to ensure that they achieve their desire for local government autonomy.

    Speaking through the Chairman of the  Senate Committee on States and Local Government administration, Senator Abdulkahi Gumel at the 40th anniversary lecture of the Nigerian Union of Local Government  Employees in Abuja,  Saraki expressed shock that only nine states have so far passed the constitutional amendment granting autonomy to local governments councils in the country.

    He said that while it is true that the bill is still alive in the remaining 26 states, he was confident that through continued dialogue, collaboration and partnership with relevant stakeholders including government, the much desired local government autonomy will be actualised.

    He expressed confidence that granting the local government council financial autonomy will deepened the nation’s democracy  and ensure rapid development of the grassroots,  assuring that the National Assembly will continue to strengthen local government administration in the country.

    Speaking said “We in the National Assembly fully appreciate the importance of governance at local government level. Yes, it strengthens local government administration; but more importantly, it provides for accountable governance, which is a prerequisite for sustainable development. One therefore reasons with the idea of local councils having better proximity to the people; as their autonomy will in turn better serve the grassroots and avail Nigerians of the much-desired dividends of democracy.

    “You aware of the efforts of the National Assembly towards actualizing financial autonomy for local institutions by way of the Local Government Autonomy Bill under the 1999 Constitution (as amended). It is a matter of some disappointment that only nine (9) states have so far passed this Autonomy Bill. While it may be true that the Bill is still under consideration in the remaining 26 states, we must remain hopeful that in this instance, delay does not constitute denial.

    “Let me say that the struggle towards freedom of the third-tier of government is not one which NULGE or indeed the local governments themselves should see as theirs alone. If we are to curb insecurity, provide jobs for our teeming youth and boost economic activity through diversification, we must enable local governments operate independent of the state, and with their own budget and levels of accountability.

    “As I have stated on several occasions, it is our joint responsibility to ensure that there is a symbiotic relationship between the states and local governments, if we are to prevent unwarranted disadvantage to third-tier government in Nigeria. In addition, a cordial and symbiotic relationship between second and third-tier government will make possible the necessary checks and balances that should further serve to deepen the fabric of our democracy.

    Read Also: Saraki, Fayemi, Fasanmi: Fasehun battled for democracy

    “What this means in essence is that there is still a lot more work to be done if we are to bring this espoused vision to reality. The constitutional amendment process is one which adopts a transformational approach to change; that is to say, a gradual process. We should not be discouraged by what may seem a slow pace of change. Through continued dialogue, collaboration and partnership with relevant stakeholders including government, I am confident that local government autonomy will be actualized.”

    The question is not if, but when.

    “It is always pleasing to identify with the work of such an impactful organization as the Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees. Your principal objectives, which

    are to promote and foster legislation on local government matters; and your role in protecting employee rights in all ramifications surrounding their conditions of service, remain indelible in serving those you represent.

    “Indeed, it is no mean achievement that you are celebrating 40 years of existence. While you will undoubtedly have had your share of challenges during that time, the importance of the work of the Union is there for all to see, and it remains critical in both the labour market and third-tier government.

    “You deserve commendation, having provided much-needed support to the Union over the years, especially in the area of securing local government autonomy.”

    In his remarks,  President of NULGE,  Comrade Ibrahim Khaleel said in the last 40 years, the union has been engaged in a long and sustained struggle for enduring improvement in the living and working conditions of workers who live and work at the grassroots level of our society, adding that most of our workers live among the rural populace and hence among some of the most disadvantaged and vulnerable segments of our country.

    He said despite these problems, efforts made centrally at the national level to address issues of underdevelopment at the grassroots have been consistently subverted by some state governments and their agents, adding that the current political dispensation, some people have sought to hide under the notion of a so-called “genuine federalism” to hijack and take control ofall allocations constitutionally meant for local governments and their development. ‘

    Khaaleel stressed that from the inception of the current democratic era in May 1999, with the exception of a brief respite at the beginning, as local government workers, we have moved from one crisis to another from a period of zero allocation, caused in part by over-deductions from local government funds, which prevented majority of local governments in the country from meeting the basic but elementary obligation of paying their workers’ salaries, to our resistance against a determined and concerted effort to abolish the local government system as a tier of government.

    He insisted that the maintenance of the state-local government joint accounts is another albatross obstructing the smooth operation of the local government system and a key factor in the poor state of local governments across the country up till this moment, saying “Most states not only use the joint account to drain the local govemment of funds, they have also refused in majority of cases to remit 10% of internally generated revenue to the local governments as provide for by Nigerian Constitution and specified by the Revenue Mobilization,Allocation and F iscal Commission (RMAFC).

    “We are convinced that we are getting closer and closer to achieving our aspirations for popular democracy in our local governments and the autonomy we seek cannot be indefinitely denied by a gang up of governors and self-‘serving legislators at the State Houses of Assembly.

    “We believe that the amendment that granted financial autonomy to state legislatures is an important step towards our getting the autonomy that is desirable at the third tier of government. When the 9’h National Assembly is reconvening next May, governors will no longer be able to arm-twist state legislators by threatening to withhold funding for them as this will no longer be under their control”

    He warned state governors against testing the resolve of organised labour on the issue of a new national minimum wage,  saying “those who wish to test the resolve of organised labour on this matter should first review all past campaigns and national strike actions that have come out of stalemated national minimum wage negotiations.

    “As we approach the next general elections coming up early next year, we in the locai‘gover’nment system across the country look forward to Nigerians putting the autonomy of. the local government system as a key policy on which we must judge those who want us to elect (or reelect) them as councillors, chairmen, members of state houses of assembly, governors, National Assembly members and as President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federation. “They must be people who must be seen to put the interest of and well-being of the mass of Nigerian people over and above their personal and clannish interests.”

  • Zamfara workers still earn N6,000 as minimum wage, says NULGE

    The Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) yesterday said Zamfara State Governor Abdulaziz Yari was fighting against the actualisation of a new national minimum wage for Nigerian workers to cover up his administration’s alleged failure to implement the N18,000 minimum wage.

    NULGE National President Ibrahim Khaleel, who broke the news ahead of the 40th anniversary of the union in Abuja, the nation’s capital, said local government workers in Zamfara earned N6,000 as minimum wage.

    Khaleel, who is also the National Treasurer of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), insisted that the low-earning power of Zamfara residents was responsible for the rising insecurity in the state.

    The labour leader noted that as long as the workers were not well paid, there would be no peace in the state.

    He regretted that the nation’s local government workers were the most vulnerable in the world, saying while N18,000 was the minimum wage in Plateau State, local government workers were paid its fraction as salary.

    Khaleel also said the local government system in the country was discriminated against.

    According to him, the welfare of workers in the system can only be enhanced if the local government areas are allowed to function well.

    On local government autonomy, the union leader said only 12 states had taken their stand on the issue, with nine of them supporting autonomy for the local government and three others voting against it.

  • Ekiti LG workers begin indefinite strike Friday

    The Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) in Ekiti will begin an indefinite strike on Friday.

    The union said the strike followed the failure of the state government  to honour an agreement signed recently at the Joint Account Allocation Committee (JAAC)  meeting of Sept.  4.

    NULGE also warned the outgoing Ayo Fayose administration  against fresh recruitment when it had yet to clear  the salary arrears owed workers.

    The union said after a meeting in Ado-Ekiti that the strike would be indefinite until all contentious issues  were addressed.

    It warned that it would not hesitate to deal with any worker  who disobeyed the directive.

    A communiqué signed by the state’s President, Olubunmi Ajimoko, and  Secretary, Suleiman Alero, expressed concern that salaries had remained static and pensions unpaid.

    ” We again wish to stress that additional burden should not be put on JAAC until our various arrears are cleared.

    “ The case of those termed “ hurriedly employed’’  in 2003 should serve as a lesson to all who remember history.

    “In view of the insensitivity of this present administration, even at the point of winding up, when we feel that corrections of past errors should be made, it has become painfully obvious that no concrete agreement can be respected by this administration

    “The union is therefore calling all its members in the 16 local governments, the related commission, boards and departments to proceed on an indefinite strike action from Friday

    “We humbly wish to stress that this position will only be reviewed when we see a physical evidence of the political will to alleviate our members’  predicament, especially payment of all arrears of our salaries,’’ the communique said.

    NAN reports that the union had earlier shelved a proposed strike in August after a meeting with representatives of the state government.(NAN)

  • NULGE endorses Ugwuanyi for 2019

    The Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) in Enugu State has endorsed Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi for a second term in office.

    The council workers gave the endorsement at a mega rally held in solidarity of the governor at the Michael Okpara Square, Enugu.

    The workers said Ugwuanyi had wiped away their tears. They also appealed to the governor and the lawmakers to support local government autonomy.

    NULGE President Comrade Kenneth Ugwueze said the governor had, within three years in office, changed the story of local government workers from that of woes to songs of joy.

    His claim was corroborated by the National President of NULGE, Comrade Ibrahim Khaleel.

    Ugwueze said Ugwuanyi’s endorsement came after the mandate was endorsed by the workers in the 17 councils due to Ugwuanyi’s special attention on them.

    He said: “You Excellency, the workers in Enugu State have converged here to say thank you for wiping our tears.

    “You have demonstrated democracy and good governance in all areas. This is manifest in your transparency, rule of law, health, inclusiveness, service delivery, which are all manifest in your leadership style and also endeared you to the people.

    “We laud you for the paradigm shift in the government-labour relationship, which has created a peaceful industrial atmosphere in the state, which has made you to the most-friendly governor.

    “Our declaration and support extends to our parents, family members, friends and other dependent relatives, who through your magnanimity, were saved from hopelessness.”

    Ugwuanyi thanked the workers for their support, and assured them that all outstanding issues affecting them would be given due attention.

     

  • State assemblies yet to reject LG autonomy – NULGE

    State assemblies yet to reject LG autonomy – NULGE

    State Assemblies will still vote to grant local government autonomy in the ongoing constitutional amendment, the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) has stated.

    It said contrary to speculations that about 26 State Houses of Assembly were yet to consider the bill sent by the National Assembly.

    Speaker Yakubu Dogara had lampooned state legislators for throwing out the local government autonomy bill when considering the constitutional amendment bills sent to them for concurrence, saying they disappointed Nigerians who elected them.

    But National President of the union, Comrade Ibrahim Khaleel, said only Imo and Edo Assemblies voted against the bill.

    About 26 states were yet to take a definite position on the issue of local government autonomy, while eight others have voted in favour of the bill, he stated.

    Khaleel said since most states were yet to consider the bill and take a definite stand, it will be out of place to send the wrong signals the bill has been rejected describing the issue as work in progress.

    He said what was presented to the National Assembly by the Chairman of the Conference of Speakers of State Houses of Assembly was the position of the state legislators on other items of the constitutional amendment, which they have all taken a position on.

    According to him: “Among the 10 states that have considered it, eight states Kwara, Benue, Niger, Plateau, Bauchi, Cross River, Bayelsa and Ogun states voted for local government autonomy while only two;  Edo and Imo, rejected it by voting against it.”

    Khaleel, who said he had sought clarification from the Chairman, Conference of Speakers and senior officials of the National Assembly, pointed out that Rivers and Lagos states have not even worked on the Local Government Autonomy Bill while the remaining 24, who joined the other 10 states to transmit it to the National Assembly, said they have stepped the bill down for further consultation.

  • NULGE: only nine states voted for Council autonomy

    NULGE: only nine states voted for Council autonomy

    The Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) said only nine states voted in support of Local Government autonomy in the ongoing effort to amend the constitution.

    National President of the Union Ibrahim Khaleel said two states rejected the bill outright

    Khaleel called for the abolition of State Independent Electoral Commission, adding that the existence of the commission had made democracy at the local government level a mockery.

    Khaleel  said Kwara, Benue, Niger, Plateau, Bauchi, Cross River, Bayelsa, Ogun and Ondo are the states, which endorsed the local government autonomy bill, while Edo and Imo  rejected it outright.

    He said governors influenced their state assemblies to defeat its consideration.

    He urged the states  to approve the bill in the interest of Nigerians.

    He said   the union was not asking legislators to automatically endorse the bill, but to conduct public hearing as agreed by the Speakers Forum and the Governors Forum.

    “I want to call on our governors to, as a matter of respect for Nigerian citizens who have spoken and aspiring to have a local government system they can call their own, that will be free for them to participate democratically by electing their Chairmen and Councillors as and when due without undue influence from the government of the state.

    “The governors should begin to have some level of decorum in their approach to governance. Look at the shame brought to bear on our democracy by the election in Kano where under aged were the ones that mostly voted.

    “These are some of the issues that we have been trying to make Nigerians understand. That is not only in the area of democracy.

    “The idea behind establishing local government is by way of bringing governance closer to the people and providing a platform for everybody to participate at his own community level.”

  • NULGE gives lawmakers condition for re-election

    NULGE gives lawmakers condition for re-election

    The National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) in Anambra State has said members of the House of Assembly will only be re-elected in 2019 if they pass the Local Government Autonomy Bill.

    Labour leaders, under the aegis of Civil Society-Labour and Media Alliance in Anambra State (CiSoL-MEDAAS), protested at the Assembly complex yesterday.

    They said they would vote out any lawmaker who votes against the bill.

    Their leader, Elder Eloka Okafor, said they were at the Assembly ground to register their grievances at the lawmakers’ inability to adopt the bill despite the assurances they gave in their previous visit.

    He said of the 15 clauses, 13 were approved, including the autonomy of the Houses of Assembly, while the remaining two, which included that of local government autonomy, were dropped.

    He said: “We were here last week for an advocacy, urging the House to pass the bill, but were disappointed that the local government autonomy, which is one of the most important clauses in the bill, was not passed,”

    State NULGE President Comrade Jerry Nnubia urged the lawmakers to write their names in gold by being among the privileged ones who passed the bill during their tenure.

    The Deputy Speaker, Hayford Oseke, who received the lawmakers, said the lawmakers were not against the bill. According to him, the bill ws stepped down to allow for wider consultations and for public hearing, which, according to him, would happen soon.

  • NULGE rejects APC Committee report on Local Government

    NULGE rejects APC Committee report on Local Government

     …says it misrepresents positions of Nigerians

    The Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees ( NULGE ) has rejected the proposal by the APC Committee in True Federalism that Local Government Councils be delisted from the constitution as a tier of government and be left to the whims of the states.

    The union said that the report was a predetermined position of a cabal within the APC to derail the ideals of the Nigerian people as the position being canvassed by the report does not represent the view of the Nigerian people in general and members of the APC in particular.

    National President of the Union, Comrade Ibrahim Khaleel said at a news conference in Abuja on Monday that if the party and the Buhari government are sincere to the issue of restructuring and devolution of power in the country, power should be devolved to the local governments rather than removing power from the federal and local government to the states.

    He asked the leadership of the party to stop dissipating energy on the report and dump it in the trash can especially the aspect that deals with the delisting the local government from the constitution and ask state Houses of Assembly to wake up to their responsibility, and give a voice to the local government autonomy bill already passed by both chambers of the National Assembly.

    He said: “Our union has been canvassing for an autonomous local government system in Nigeria through nationwide advocacy campaign that embraces all the 36 states and 774 local government areas of the federation. We had audience with all the governors of the 36 states of the federation or their representative, state assembly members and other stakeholders. 

    Read Also: Rumble in APC as zonal chairmen move against Oyegun

    “We equally participated in all the zonal consultation held by the APC restructuring committee across the country. We are sure that those of you that followed or covered these events are fully aware of our visibility and what transpired during the APC restricting committee consultations in all the venues.

    “We wish as a union to, on a very strong term reject and condemn the aspect of the report that aimed at scrapping local government by delisting it from the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria as a third tier of government, as we see this as a predetermined position of some cabals in the party, not the party as a whole let alone, the position of the Nigerian people. 

    “We call in the party leadership to put the report in the dust hon and not to dissipate unnecessary energy on it, discard and shred the report as it was predetermined, self serving, mischievous and didn’t reflect the position of either it members or Nigerians at large.

    “If we are very sincere to the issue of restructuring and devolution of power in Nigeria, power should, as a matter of urgency devolve to the grassroots other than removing power from the federal and local government to the states government.

    “Nigerians have been clamouring for a functional, democratic local government for a long time. In 2003, the 7th Assembly had taken the debate on local government to the 360 federal constituencies where about 327 clearly supported an autonomous local government system by way of ensuring constitutional reforms. 

    “In the same vein, the 8th Assembly has already passed the bill to make local government more independent, based on the aspirations of Nigerians. Now the bill has been transmitted to the State Assemblies waiting for their action, some governors are ganging up again to hijack the process at the State Houses of Assembly.

    “The aspect of the committee recommendation is just an attempt to hijack and divert the ongoing process of the constitutional amendment process awaiting action at the state Houses of Assembly.

    “We wish to express our profound appreciation and gratitude to the Heroes of democracy and governors of Benue, Cross Rivers and Bauchi states and their Houses of Assembly leadership and the entire members for overwhelmingly adopting the bills on local government, after conducting public hearing by the houses. Democracy is about people and Nigerians have spoken clearly, loud and their opinion must be respected at this critical period. 

    “We appeal passionately to the remaining state governors to support Nigerians by identifying with the position of the majority if Nigerians allow state assembly members to discharge their constitutional, mandate without interference and undue influence, where the state legislators should urgently organise public hearing on the bills that aim at strengthening local government systems and ensure that they stand with the people they represent.

    “The leadership of the union at both the state and local government levels are hereby directed to renew and redouble their efforts in engaging their state legislators to ensure the success of the struggle, while our comrades from other sister unions, civil society allies and all Nigerians are urged not to relent on their efforts in this regards.”