NULGE Urges Tinubu to Enforce Supreme Court Ruling on Full Local Government Autonomy — Calls It a Test of Justice, Equity and True Federalism
The Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to immediately implement the Supreme Court judgment granting full financial and administrative autonomy to the 774 local government areas across the country, describing it as a litmus test of his commitment to justice, equity, and true federalism.
A communique signed by the President General of NULGE, Comrade Aliyu Kankara at the end of the union’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting on Wednesday in Abuja, regretted that the delayed implementation was not only denying millions of Nigerians at the grassroots access to many benefits, but it was denying them a rare chance to be free from decades of suffocation and neglect.
The communique partly reads: “The NEC-in-Session has appealed to the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Ahmed Bola Tinubu, for the implementation of the Local Government Autonomy in Nigeria as delivered by the Supreme Court judgement over a year ago.
“The NEC-in-Session is kindly requesting the implementation and enforcement of the Supreme Court judgment. This undue delay undermines the principles of democracy and denies the people at the grassroots numerous inherent benefits associated with the Autonomy of Local Government Administration. It is expected that a democratic and people-oriented government should abide by the tenets of democracy and respect the Rule of Law.
“The NEC-in-Session emphasised that an autonomous Local Government System will enable better service delivery, accountability and participatory governance, thereby delivering the pressing needs of the people at the community level.
“The NEC-in-Session charged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to prioritise the implementation of this landmark judgement as a demonstration of his administration’s commitment to justice, equity and grassroots development.”
Expressing deep concern and outright dismay over the recent demolition of its national secretariat under construction at Lugbe in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, NULGE lamented that the action has disrupted the legitimate efforts of the Union to provide befitting administrative infrastructure for effective service to its members nationwide.
“NEC hereby calls on the Honourable Minister of the Federal Capital Territory to immediately intervene and ensure redress on this matter. NEC also calls on the Chief of Defence Staff to investigate the involvement of military personnel in the demolition exercise.”
While strongly condemning the delay in the implementation of the minimum wage in several states, affecting local government workers, NULGE noted that “This inaction is deemed callous and unfair to our members, who are crucial to the development of the third tier of government, especially during these economically challenging times.
“However, the NEC-in-Session commends state governments that have implemented the minimum wage, even if some have only made partial adjustments. We urge these governments to further review and improve their wage structures to ensure fair compensation for local government workers.”
The union also appealed to the Federal Government to urgently intervene in the Osun State political crisis and ensure the immediate restoration of its seized allocations, in the interest of peace, justice, and sustainable development.
According to NULGE, the seizure of Osun State Local Government allocation has had grave consequences on the livelihoods of the people of the State, distorted development and growth plans, and crippled the effective and efficient functioning of the Local Government system.
Meanwhile, NULGE has urged the Anambra State Governor, Prof. Charles Soludo, to “caution all his appointees who are handling Local Government funds under the Ministry of Local Government Affairs to desist from interfering in Union matters. This is a precondition to guarantee industrial peace and harmony.”
