By Israel Afolabi
The State of Osun House of Assembly has thrown its weight behind the ongoing agitations for Local Government autonomy in the country.
Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Honourable Najeem Salaam stated this while addressing protesting members of National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) at the State Assembly Complex, Osogbo State of Osun.
Salaam saluted the courage of Osun and National body of NULGE for their bold step taking in support of local government autonomy across the country.
According to the speaker, “The House of Assembly of Osun belongs to you as you also belong to the House as well. We have our own mind and know what to do about it”.
Salaam assured that the interest of the council workers would surely be taken care of during their debate on the floor of the house.
Meanwhile the protest was led by South-West Vice president, Comrade Ambali Akeem in company of Chairman NULGE State of Osun Comrade Adeyeye Adedeji and Chairman Osun Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Adekomi Jacob to register their support for local government autonomy before state parliaments.
The National Vice president, Comrade Ambali Akeem who led the protest urged the State Assembly to grant financial and administrative autonomy to local governments in the state for smooth running of their activities.
He also solicited the abolition of joint allocation between local and state government across the country for proper accountability.
Also, the NULGEE state chairman, Comrade Adeyeye Adedeji said all the local government workers are in total support of the autonomy in the State of Osun and Nigeria.
According to him, “We have local governments that have been castrated in this country, and therefore, let there be local government autonomy”.
In his own contribution, Chairman, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in the state, Comrade Adekomi Jacob added that the union was in support of the masses in the state.
He said, “We are here today because of the entire masses in the land and to register their grievances on local government administration in the state. We are saying that autonomy should be granted to the council for the benefit of the people at the grassroot level”.
