The Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) has urged President Bola Tinubu to urgently enforce the Supreme Court judgement granting full autonomy to local governments across the country, Peak Newspaper reports.
The call was contained in a communiqué signed by the President-General of NULGE, Aliyu Kankara, after the union’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held in Abuja on Tuesday.
More than a year after the apex court’s verdict, NULGE lamented that the ruling had not been implemented, describing the delay as a setback to grassroots development and democracy.
“This undue delay undermines the principles of democracy and denies people at the grassroots the benefits of functional and autonomous local government administration,” the communiqué stated.
The union specifically condemned the alleged seizure of local government allocations in Osun State, which it said had crippled service delivery and worsened the hardship of residents.
“The unlawful seizure of funds has distorted development plans and deepened the suffering of the people. Such actions are unjust and detrimental to grassroots progress,” NULGE declared.
On workers’ welfare, the union expressed outrage over the failure of some state governments to implement the national minimum wage, describing the attitude as “callous and unfair” given the country’s current economic realities.
“Our members are crucial to the survival of the third tier of government, yet many are left to struggle under poor wage structures. We urge these governments to act responsibly and pay workers fairly,” the statement added.
The NEC also appealed to the federal government to intervene in the Osun political crisis and ensure the restoration of local government funds in the interest of peace and sustainable development.
In a separate plea, NULGE called on the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory to address the recent demolition of its national secretariat, describing the action as unjust and demanding immediate redress.
