MEMBERS of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) Southeast chapter on Thursday evening took to the major streets of Enugu metropolis calling for local government autonomy.
The angry workers who had converged at Enugu North Local Government Secretariat around 1pm marched to the House of Assembly complex chatting solidarity song before registering their grievances.
The national president of NULGE, Comrade Ibrahim Khaleel, during the presentation of their request to the Speaker House of Assembly, Edward Ubosi, said that workers were protesting because the grass root governments which have more electorate are being marginalized.
Comrade Khaleel said that Local Governments had been disconnected from the dividend of democracy and urged the lawmakers in the country to support the autonomy of the local government because they are agitating for the good of all the Nigerians not for local government workers alone.
The labour leader, noted, “Nigeria is in shamble as local governments lack the access to the dividend of democracy as the state diverts the funds made for local government development. Local governments should be given the opportunity to get their own allocation directly from the federal government.”
He also said that governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi during their courtesy visit to him, supported the agitation for the autonomy of local governments and promised to be the first state government to approve the autonomy of local governments.
“We are protesting to show the world that local government which have the major electorate and the third tier of government have been marginalized, denied the access to enjoy the dividend of democracy.”
“The agitation is not for the local government workers alone but for the interest of the Nigerian because the lawmaker who failed to develop his constituency will one day retire to his home and suffer the same with his people.”
“I urge the lawmakers to adopt the autonomy, so that Local government would receive their allocation directly from federal government and sort for fund without waiting for the state government,” Khaleel pointed out.
Speaker of the House represented by his deputy, Mr Donatus Uzoagbado commended the worlers for initiating the idea of local government autonomy because there will be no state or federal government without Local Government.
Uzogbado, tasked NULGE to keep doing the work of God because the fight for Local Government autonomy is for the masses not for the workers alone. Also urged them to pray for God to bless the state because governor Ugwuanyi handed the state in the hands of God.
He promised that the Lawmakers would partner with NULGE to make sure that the local government autonomy agitation is granted.
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