Workers in Kwara state have urged the Kwara State House of Assembly to ensure
the passage of the local government autonomy bill presently for consideration
before it in order to liberate the local councils from under-development.
They also called on workers of various bodies and Nigerians as a whole to join the struggle for autonomous local government council.
The workers, comprising the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) and the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) stated this in Ilorin at an advocacy meeting organized by the Human Development Initiatives, HDI in partnership with the Centre for Social Justice, CSJ and Community Life Project.
The workers debunked reports of diverse opinion on the request for autonomy among workers’ union, explaining that workers at the local government level have reached a common ground on how to protect the interest of each arm of the workers.
A former chairman of Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, ASCSN, Mr M.S Ajibola who said the interest of the teachers in the local government service should be protected, stressed the need to channel their fund directly through the State Universal Education Board, (SUBEB).
According to him, deducting the teachers’ fund from the allocation and handing it over to SUBEB for onward payment to teachers, would ensure the teachers’ pay is not delayed or diverted for some other projects.
A NULGE ex-officio, Comrade Jimoh Abdulwahab who expressed fear that the lawmakers were tied to the apron of some powerful political office holders, said this factor stresses the need for workers to speak with one voice.
Abdulwahab said the two-third requirement for the endorsement of local government autonomy would not be achieved in a divided house.
Another representative of the workers, Lawal Tajudeen said against wide-spread report, the request for the autonomy of local councils was timely and should be passionately supported.
He said the politicians’ need for the people’s support at the forthcoming elections should serve as a bargaining tool for the electorate.
While emphasizing the importance of monitoring if eventually the autonomy was achieved, Comrade A.S. Apalando, a representative of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC said the people must put in place a structure that would compel local executives to be responsible and accountable in the discharge of their duties.
Mrs Apalando, a nurse by profession observed that if care was not taken, the fund meant for development at the grassroots level may also be squandered by political office holders.
Coordinator of the meeting, Baba Ijo Adeolu Otepola, who commended the workers body for their selfless contributions to the course of workers in the states, said HDI and other partnering bodies would team up with them to achieve the desired result.
On the resolution of the sitting, the National Orientation official, said the group would meet with the Speaker of the House of Assembly on Thursday, Dec. 18, to present the advocacy-for-autonomy letter after which the campaign would go on.
The Chairman, Kwara state chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Farouk Akanbi who was present at the meeting as an observer, commended both the Non-governmental organizations and the workers’ representatives and expressed hope that the desired autonomy would be achieved.
They also called on workers of various bodies and Nigerians as a whole to join the struggle for autonomous local government council.
The workers, comprising the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) and the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) stated this in Ilorin at an advocacy meeting organized by the Human Development Initiatives, HDI in partnership with the Centre for Social Justice, CSJ and Community Life Project.
The workers debunked reports of diverse opinion on the request for autonomy among workers’ union, explaining that workers at the local government level have reached a common ground on how to protect the interest of each arm of the workers.
A former chairman of Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, ASCSN, Mr M.S Ajibola who said the interest of the teachers in the local government service should be protected, stressed the need to channel their fund directly through the State Universal Education Board, (SUBEB).
According to him, deducting the teachers’ fund from the allocation and handing it over to SUBEB for onward payment to teachers, would ensure the teachers’ pay is not delayed or diverted for some other projects.
A NULGE ex-officio, Comrade Jimoh Abdulwahab who expressed fear that the lawmakers were tied to the apron of some powerful political office holders, said this factor stresses the need for workers to speak with one voice.
Abdulwahab said the two-third requirement for the endorsement of local government autonomy would not be achieved in a divided house.
Another representative of the workers, Lawal Tajudeen said against wide-spread report, the request for the autonomy of local councils was timely and should be passionately supported.
He said the politicians’ need for the people’s support at the forthcoming elections should serve as a bargaining tool for the electorate.
While emphasizing the importance of monitoring if eventually the autonomy was achieved, Comrade A.S. Apalando, a representative of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC said the people must put in place a structure that would compel local executives to be responsible and accountable in the discharge of their duties.
Mrs Apalando, a nurse by profession observed that if care was not taken, the fund meant for development at the grassroots level may also be squandered by political office holders.
Coordinator of the meeting, Baba Ijo Adeolu Otepola, who commended the workers body for their selfless contributions to the course of workers in the states, said HDI and other partnering bodies would team up with them to achieve the desired result.
On the resolution of the sitting, the National Orientation official, said the group would meet with the Speaker of the House of Assembly on Thursday, Dec. 18, to present the advocacy-for-autonomy letter after which the campaign would go on.
The Chairman, Kwara state chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Farouk Akanbi who was present at the meeting as an observer, commended both the Non-governmental organizations and the workers’ representatives and expressed hope that the desired autonomy would be achieved.
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