Anambra NULGE protests alleged diversion of dues, decries non-employment in LG system

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By Madu Obi

Local Government workers in Anambra State have staged a protest over alleged diversion of checkoff dues of members of the union into a private account.

The workers, under the aegis of Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) who marched to the Government House in Awka, also protested the non-employment of fresh staff into the local government system for many years, lamenting that the service may soon go into extinction.

In a communique issued by the union during an enlarged State Executive Council meeting, with representatives from the 21 local government areas and observers from the national secretariat of the union before embarking on the protest, the protesters decried the activities of few individuals in their union who, it claimed, want to ignite crisis in it.

The communique and the placards were submitted at the Government House to representative of the state governor, Mrs Joy Soba who received and addressed the protesters.

State chairman and secretary of the union, Comrade Eucharia Ughanwunne and Comrade BarIke Abugu who spoke on behalf of the union during the protest said there is a threat of extinction of local government service in Anambra State, going by the situation on ground.

“The last employment into the Local Government Service of Anambra State was in 2001. While members are leaving through death and retirement, there has been no replacement efforts, making the service vulnerable to imminent extinction.

We are also protesting the unlawful diversion of four months NULGE statutory check off dues by the office of Accountant General for local government. That position is reserved for career officer and the imposition of a non career officer is not only inimical to the service, but a recipe for career retrogression and unproductivity", they said.

They also alleged that promotion in the local governments has been turned into money making venture.

The officials also complained that over 100 staff have been sacked over alleged certificate forgery, noting that there is also compulsory induction of members into Institute of Chattered Local Government and Public Administration of Nigeria and retention of some HODs who have served beyond eight years on the same position.

They said that although they are working for the re-election of Governor Chukwuma Soludo because of his sterling performance, the workers are unhappy that some appointees of the governor were working against him by trying to ignite crisis in their union.

The governor should direct immediate and urgent massive employment of workers into the Local Government Service Commission to save it from extinction and immediate release of our withheld checkoff dues and reinstatement of illegally dismissed staff", the union pleaded.