NULGE faults Governors’ Forum on council autonomy

The Nigeria Local Government Employees (NULGE) has faulted the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) over non-realisation of local government autonomy in the country.
Comrade Ibrahim Khaleel, National President, NULGE, made the accusation at the opening ceremony of the 40th anniversary of the union on Monday in Abuja.
He said in the last two years, the union had embarked on a coordinated nationwide campaign to achieve the aspiration of majority of Nigerians working within the 774 local governments.
He said the main agitation of his members was to achieve financial and administrative autonomy for the third tier of government.
He said “This campaign was so popular and we were about accomplishing its goal when a powerful cabal symbolised by the Nigeria Governors’ Forum halted it.
“The forum halted the voting in the Houses of Assembly after nine of 12 Houses had voted in favour of the two autonomy bills transmitted to the National Assembly.’’
He said that NULGE had weathered all storms of disunity and organisational stress and remained as one united family.
Khaleel said that the union in the last 40 years had engaged in sustained struggle to improve the living and working conditions of its members.
He said that the workers at the grassroots level remained the most disadvantaged and vulnerable segment of the country.
“Our members bear the full brunt of the gross underdevelopment of our nation, marked by inadequate access to portable water, decent housing, quality education, healthcare, good roads among others,” he said.
He added that ongoing efforts at the federal level to address issues of underdevelopment at the grassroots were being consistently subverted by some state governments.