The National President, Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Mr Olatunji Ambali has called on Nigerians not to vote for those state governors opposing local government autonomy.
Mr. Ambali made the call in an interview with newsmen on the sidelines of the ongoing Conference of Nigeria State of Assembly Speakers at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in Ibadan.
“We are appealing to the people that any governor that is against the local government autonomy should be voted out of office, because they are not fit to lead the country,” NULGE president said.
He said the union leaders were in Ibadan to address the Speakers to enable them to understand that their agitations was nothing, but a patriotic duty.
Ambali said that they had contacted strategic stakeholders, such as paramount rulers, opinion leaders and other well-meaning Nigerians on the need for autonomy of the council in the country.
He, however, disagreed with Gov. Seyi Makinde’s position in his keynote address at the conference, that local governments would not be sustainable, if allowed to gain autonomy.
The president urged the governor to show interest in Nigeria and should not allow himself to be pushed by self-interest.
“We have realised that those making side comments are doing it as self-serving and not in the patriotic interest of their people,” he said.
Ambali said that allocation from the Federal Government was enough to sustain local governments without adding the internally generated revenue.
He said they were aware that workers in Oyo State were less than 10,000, while workers in Rivers are over 20,000 with salary package for Rivers State to be over N2.5 billion.
He expressed confidence that local government could pay salary, carry out infrastructure developments, address insecurity and give good governance to the people, if allowed to earn their allocations.
The union president said that autonomy would allow connection between the government and the people, give hope to youths and women through skills acquisition programme.
Ambali said that elections in the past were conducted and the process then produced credible leaders that were acceptable to the people.
The NULGE leader said it was now difficult for local governments to patch and tar roads and meet other obligations as it were in the past.
Ambali said all security challenges were local, adding that local governments should be allowed to provide security and safety in the rural communities. (NAN)
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