APC restructuring report: NULGE threatens nationwide strike

The Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE),
has said it will embark on national strike, against the
Governor Nasir el-Rufai’s Committee on Restructuring report,
which advocated delisting of 774 local governments from the
constitution as third tier of government.
Addressing journalists in Abuja, yesterday, NULGE National
President, Ibrahim Khaleel, advised the All Progressives
Congress-led Federal Government to dump the report in a
dustbin and avoid the waste of time, energy and resources.
He insisted that the recommendation was self-serving,
mischievous and that it did not reflect the position of its
members and Nigerians at large.
“If we are sincere on the issue of restructuring and devolution
of power in Nigeria, power should, as a matter of urgency,
devolve to the grassroots, that is, local governments, other
than removing power from the federal and local government to
the state government,” he said.
Khaleel further stated that “Nigerians have been clamouring for
a functional, democratic local government for a long time. In
2013, the Seventh Assembly took the debate on local
government to 360 federal constituencies where about 327
clearly supported an autonomous local government system, by
way of ensuring that through constitutional reforms.
“In the same vein, the Eighth Assembly has already passed the
bill to make local government more independent, based on the
aspirations of Nigerians
“Now, the bill has been transmitted to state Assemblies,
waiting for their action, some governors are ganging up, again,
to hijack the process at Houses of Assembly,” he said.
Khaleel also charged members across the states to stall the
process by engaging Houses of Assembly on the matter.
“The leadership of the union, at both state and local
government levels are, hereby, directed to renew their efforts
in engaging their state legislators, to ensure the success of the
struggle.”
He also said El-Rufai lacked the credibility to champion the
course.
“We say no to that. Nigerians have spoken.