NULGE calls on Tinubu, Atiku, Peter Obi to declare stand on local government autonomy

The Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), has called on the presidential candidates of the All Progress Congress (APC), People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and Mr Peter Obi, respectively, to publicly make known their stand on local government autonomy bill to Nigerians.

NULGE further said it will mobilize its teeming members across Nigeria to vote against presidential candidates who refuse to support LG autonomy, while it will on the other hand vote massively for any candidate supported and ensure the bill is passed into law.

Speaking to journalists in Abuja yesterday at its headquarters at a press conference, NULGE President, Comrade Ambali Akeem Olatunji, who made this call, went on to commend the governments and Abia and Kogi States House of Assembly for taking the lead in passing into law the LG autonomy bill.

Furthermore, Ambali went on to call on the remaining 34 States Assembly to see it as a patriotic duty to the passage local government autonomy bill. He noted that granting LG autonomy is a step towards addressing insecurity, joblessness, banditry, territory and banditry in Nigeria.

“Within the next one month, we call on all State Houses of Assembly across the country to pass local government autonomy bill. We also appeal to all members of the House of Representatives and Senate to go back home and galvanize and prevail on the members of their various States’ House of Assembly for quick passage of LG autonomy.

‘It is time to fix Nigeria, however, Nigeria cannot be fixed without the passage of LG autonomy and the third tier of government functioning as an entity of its own. Meanwhile, the foundation of Nigeria’s growth is the local government system.

“Let me also appreciate the political parties that refuse to vote anti-local government autonomy candidates to be the flag bearers of their party.

“NULGE is calling on the prominent presidential candidates of the 2023 general elections, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu APC, Atiku Abubakar of PDP and Peter Obi of Labour Party, to come out categorically clear to let Nigerians know their mindset on local government autonomy. They must come out to tell Nigerians what they intend to do about LG autonomy.

“Any candidate that fails to state his stands on local government autonomy should not be voted for by the Nigerian people. NULGE will go out to mobilize against such candidates.

“I am also using this opportunity to call on all members of NULGE to use the window opportunity made available by INEC to register and collect their PVC so that we will be able to stand a good ground to vote for a candidate that intends to grant local government autonomy or sustain LG autonomy struggle.

“We also call on President Muhammandu Buhari to know that the time is now. The only legacy President Buhari can leave for Nigerians to remember is to use his political wit to prevail on the APC States to quickly pass a local government autonomy bill. It is not enough to deserve local government autonomy, it is time for the President to match his words with action. The time is now.”

While he went on to say NULGE will pay official visits to political parties and their presidential candidates to canvas for their support for the passage of LG autonomy and the need thereof, he hinted that the union has already written to APC and PDP on the issue but that the parties have not responded months after.

Also, the NULGE President, call on the Federal government to quickly resolve all the issues that caused the ongoing strike that has crippled the country’s tertiary education, to enable students and their teachers to return back to school.

The union further said it is shameful and condemnable for the Federal government to go about whatever else it considers its business while the country’s universities are shut.

“Any responsive and responsible government should have been having sleepless nights over the continuous closure of the country’s universities and research institutions. We are surprised that up till now, the Federal government is yet to take any proactive measure over this.

“It is condemnable. Because the proliferation of private universities everywhere in the country will not help the children of the poor masses.

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NULGE calls on Tinubu, Atiku, Peter Obi to declare stand on LG autonomy