NLC to engage govs, others on local govt autonomy

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has declared that it would mobilise all its affiliate unions to engage state governors and members of the state house of assembly to ensure full autonomy of the last local government system in the country.

Besides, the congress said it would give full support to one of its affiliate unions, the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), in its ongoing struggle to free the local government from the excruciating claw of the state governors, who abuse, divert and mismanage local government funds.

Deputy President of NLC Comrade Kiri Mohammed, who represented the NLC President, Comrade Ayuba Waba, at the North West zone rally of NULGE on local government autonomy, held in Kano, said the congress and its affiliate unions would fight to ensure local govt autonomy.

“We are solidly behind NULGE as an affiliate of NLC, as a grass root union that is closest to the people. Governors must free local government for its to operate as a tier of government that is known for,” Kiri said while addressing the rally which took off from the Sani Abacha Stadium, to the Kano State House of Assembly and terminated at the office of the secretary to the state government.

“We will mobilise to engage governors and other stakeholders in the country towards the emancipation of the Local Councils.”

According to him, as the closest to the people at the grassroots, local government will witness meaningful development if resources coming from the federation account is given directly to the local councils for the development of the local areas and the people.

Also speaking, NULGE President, Comrade Ibrahim Khaleel challenged his members to intensify the struggle, saying, “being the nucleus upon which the entire national political edifice of our dear country rests, we as workers in the local government system will be abdicating in our responsibilities if we’re not in the frontline of the struggle to extricate our nation from the exploitation and vice grip of our political elite.”

He pointed out that as employees in the local government system, they remain the most dependable voice from which Nigerians will measure the true situation of governance at the local government level.

“The burden of creating awareness therefore lies on our shoulders to serve as the vanguard of the advocacy for local government autonomy,” he said.

Khaleel stated that since Nigeria embarked on the journey into the current democratic dispensation on May 29, 1999; the ruling elite across the political divide, irrespective of party affiliation, have operated local governments as personal chiefdom, from which they exploit without being accountable to the people.

He said: “This obviously goes against the intent and rationale for the creation of the local government system which was deliberately designed for inclusive development or to take development to the very base/grassroots of our society.”