NAN-H-80
Mobilisation
Calabar, March 24, 2017 (NAN) The National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), on Friday in Calabar held a mass rally for the South-South zone over local government autonomy.
The National President of NULGE, Mr Ibrahim Tahir, said the demand for local government autonomy in the country has become very imperative, hence the rally.
He said the union decided to embark on the rally across the six geo-political zones to sensitise Nigerians on the comatose state of local governments.
He said: “we want to let Nigerians know that local governments in Nigeria are dying in silence.
“This is to tell Nigerians that what is happening at our local governments is unacceptable; and unless something urgent is done, very soon we may never have anything like local governments in Nigeria.’’
Tahir said after holding rallies in the six geo-political zones, the union would meet with the leadership of the National Assembly and President Muhammadu Buhari to finally table their request.
Some of the demands of NULGE include, financial autonomy, payment of constitutional 10 per cent internally generated revenue by state governments to local government councils; and scrapping of joint account committee.
The union also demanded that salaries of primary school teachers be placed on first line charge, as well as direct funding of local governments from the Federation Account.
Chairman of NULGE in Cross River, Mr Godwin Ayende, said local government autonomy would usher in true democracy at the grassroots level.
“Autonomy means true democracy at the grassroots level; autonomy means integrated and inclusive democracy.
“If there is no autonomy at the local government level in Nigeria, then, we are just deceiving ourselves about democracy’’, he said.
NAN reports that the rally attracted officials of the union from the six South-South states of Edo, Akwa Ibom, Delta, Cross River, Bayelsa and Rivers.
The union later delivered a letter to the Cross River State House of Assembly. (NAN)
BEN/CEO/IEA
===========
Edited by Idahosa Asowata