The Delta State President of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Comrade Ziko Okwudi has urged members of State Houses of Assemblies to put premium on Local government autonomy to accelerate growth and development in Nigeria.
Comrade Okwudi who spoke Monday after the State Executive Council (SEC) meeting of NULGE, which held in Asaba, said Local government autonomy would guarantee infrastructure development, security, job creation and overall well-being of the Nigerian state.
He frowned at the delay by the Delta State House of Assembly in voting for Local Government Autonomy while hurriedly voting Autonomy for Houses of Assembly.
The union chieftain commended the House of Assembly members of Kwara, Benue and Adamawa States for favourably passing the Local Government Autonomy Bill accordingly.
”The SEC in session of NULGE Delta State also viewed with utmost concern the delay by the Delta State House of Assembly in voting for Local Govt Autonomy while hurriedly voting Autonomy for Houses of Assembly.
“This development has therefore given room for worries and concern over the yearnings and expectations of Deltans to see their House of Assembly members herald and champion the cause for Local Government autonomy. if Nigerians are really concerned about infrastructural development, security, job creation and overall well-being of the Nigeria state, then the Autonomy of the Local Government would certainly be a guarantee for these.
“Local government have been the engine of growth and development in all advanced democracy and any underdeveloped country, like Nigeria, must put premium on the Autonomy of the Local Government to accelerate growth and development of the country if indeed we have a genuine desire for these..
“We therefore urge all Nigerians, particularly Deltans, to throw their weight behind this National discourse to secure Autonomy for the Local Government. There is no better time than now. Thus we urge members of the House of Assembly to vote in Favour of this bill as they will be reconvening soon. It is a generally accepted fact that if democracy is about the people -“government of the people by the people and for the people”, Local Government therefore remains the most important tier of government, considering its closeness to the people. If democracy is about “majority rule”, Local Government having the highest concentration of the people among the three tiers, therefore is the pivoting point.
“If good governance means the greatest good for the greatest number, Local Government being saddled with the greatest number, therefore demands good governance”.
On the sacking of local government workers by Governor Nasir El-rufai of Kaduna State, Comrade Okwudi said “The Union condemns, in its entirety, the monstrous and arbitrary dismissal of more than Four Thousand workers of the Unified Local Government Service of Kaduna state without recourse to due process or laid down civil service rules of disengagement.
According to him”We view with utter dismay the high handedness of Governor Nasiru El Rufia and the military dispatched with which he wantonly dismissed innocent workers on grounds of structural redundancy created by the system which he is managing.
The Union frowns also at the body language of President Buhari, which inadvertently gave a nod to the mischief of the Governor of Kaduna State in sacking workers contrary to the oft publicised APC agenda.
These, according NULGE brought to doubt the sincerity of President Buhari and the APC led Federal Government promises to revamp the economy by creating and sustaining jobs.
