NULGE Kicks-Off Campaign For LG Autonomy

The national leadership of Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), has expressed its willingness to commence sensitisation and enlightenment campaign on the autonomy of the 774 Local Government Areas in Nigeria in line with the provisions of the 1999 constitution

The National  President of the Union Comrade Ibrahim Khaleel disclosed this recently in an interview with newsmen.

He said the union has scheduled march 29, as the commencement date for the campaign throughout the country.

Comrade Khaleel said that NULGE has been in the forefront of the agitation of the restructuring of the Local Government System, stressing that the agitations were to forestall the frequent imposition of undemocratic structures like the caretaker committees on the local government administration contrary to the provisions of section 7 of the 1999 constitution.

The NULGE president said the union’s clamour for the review and amendment of the 1999 constitution was to correct the noticeable defects and ensure more democratic structure at the grassroots level of the government in the country.

He explained that the basis of the union’s agitation for  the local government restructuring in Nigeria was the fact that the Federal and State Governments intervention policies with respect to Local Government Administration clearly demonstrate the structural inadequacies and imbalances in the constitution.

He said the union aims to bring effective governance closer to the grassroots.

According to the NULGE president the problem militating against participatory and effective governance at the grassroots arose from the lack of capacity, resources and inappropriate funds to the council.

He called for a policy review of the state government usurpation of council powers, manipulation of the joint state / Local Government account for the Local Government Areas to achieve their constitution responsibilities.