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NULGE protests against delisting of LG, urges NASS to stop bill
By Rasaq Adebayo
As part of continuous efforts to resist the progress of the bill seeking the delisting of local government as the third tier of government from the 1999 Constitution, executives and members of the National Union of Local Government Employee (NULGE), Isolo and Ejigbo LCDAs, on Wednesday, staged a peaceful protest at the constituency office of the House of Representatives Member representing Oshodi-Isolo Constituency 2, Hon. Ganiyu Johnson.
The local government employees urged the lawmaker to use his influence to convince other members of the House to oppose the progress of the bill in the interest of the employees and Nigeria at large.
The bill was initially presented on the floor of the green chamber by the honourable member representing Abua-Odual-Ahaoda Federal Constituency from Rivers State, seeking the delisting of local government as the third tier of government in the constitution.
Although the bill has since received condemnation from various quarters in the public sphere, it is said to have progressed to the third stage in the House.
Speaking, the NULGE Chairman, Isolo LCDA, Comr. Ismail Ogboriefon said NULGE staff members were directed to visit the constituency offices of the federal lawmakers in their various constituencies to express their vehement rejection of the bill.
He said they handed over a letter titled “Rejection of Any Motion or Bill to Delist Local Government from the 1999 Nigeria Constitution” to the lawmaker to be submitted in the House.
The letter, a copy of which was obtained by Lagos Street Journal reads in part: “We are using this opportunity to inform our Honorable Members representing our federal constituency that we are vehemently opposed to this bill. It is on record that the local government councils are the closest government to our rural dwellers and many advanced countries in the world place local government as a serious tier for the development of their rural areas.
“Local governments in Nigeria have been playing important roles in the development of rural areas, giving our rural populace the opportunity to participate in the democratic governance of our country especially during elections and in any other government activities.
“We, therefore, urge our honourable members of the national assembly to enact bills or laws that will see to the growth/development of the local government councils in the state and country at large.
“We are appealing to our honourable members of the House to continue to stand on Local government autonomy where every council will be allowed to get its financial allocations directly into their various council accounts.”
Ogboriefon explained further that: “If this bill scale through, the fate of millions of workers of 774 Local governments will be in jeopardy, their means of livelihood will be threatened and that’s why we are trying to stop this move. This protest letter we are submitting here is to be carried out in all federal constituencies across the 20 LGAs and 37 LCDAs.
“We know our, lawmaker, Hon. (Engr) Ganiyu Johnson to be compassionate and progressive honourable. We that are here from Ejigbo and Isolo are not happy and we want to present this letter to him for onward presentation in the house.”
He also appealed to the lawmaker to see to another move seeking the removal of Local Government wage from the exclusive list to the concurrent list, stressing that it will empower state governors to be manipulative with council funds.
“Another issue is that of the minimum wage. Which is also being tried to remove from the exclusive list to the concurrent list, where the governor will have the free will to manipulate whatever local government or civil servant will be taking, we don’t want that. We don’t want to reverse back to that old period that our salaries will be manipulated.”
The members were addressed by the Personal Assistant to Hon. Ganiyu Johnson, Hon. Ismail Aregbe as the Lawmaker was not around.
Aregbe pacified the council workers and promised to deliver their letter and relate their message to his principal.
