NULGE Wants State Assemblies To Approve LG Autonomy

As the proposals in the ongoing constitution review have been forwarded to states assemblies for final approval, the Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) has put in place various measures to ensure the passage of local government autonomy as proposed in the review by the state legislatures across the country.

The union made this known as it also decried what it called anti-workers policies of the Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, and warned that this would determine the position of NULGE members and Nigerians, in the 2019 general elections.

Rising from its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Abuja, NULGE resolved to declare a national day of prayers to make the members of the state house of assembly to see reasons why local government autonomy is desirable.

President of NULGE, Comrade Ibraheem Khaleel, said the union would sustain its advocacy and ensure that the constitution review is achieved.

Khaleel pointed out that the statement credited to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, that the states house of assembly should be held responsible if the proposal failed is very sensitive.

Apart from organisation a national day of prayers across all the 774 local governments of the federation, Comrade Khaleel pointed out that the NEC-in-session has mandated the state councils of NULGE to mobile and sensitize their members across the country to engage the members of the states house of assembly from the ward level on the need to approve local government autonomy.

He said the union has put in place further strategies to engage the state house of assembly in order to ensure that the proposal scale through.

He pointed out that since the National Assembly has approved the proposal and transmitted it to the states house of assembly, the union would do all within its power to come up with strategies of engaging the members of state legislative house.

He said: “The Speaker is very correct and the statement is right. We equally note the statement of the Speaker; hence we come up with a holistic robust approach.

“At all the 774 local government areas, a national day of prayers will be set aside to seek the face of God to ensure that states assembly realise the need to free local government.

On the issue of mass sack in Kaduna State, Comrade Khaleel said the union has also agreed and in support of the NLC to organise a mass action against the anti-workers and people policy of Governor El-Rufai.

He pointed out that NULGE would organise and mobilise its members across the country to converge on Kaduna and participate fully in the protest when the date is fixed.

He that the anti-people policies of the Kaduna State governor and the activities of cabal surrounding the President have disconnected President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the generality of Nigerians.

The union, who regretted that President Buhari and the APC came to power on the mantra of change, with promises to create employment for Nigerians, said the major political office holders in the government, especially the governor of Kaduna State have done the opposite.