NULGE Paralyzes FCT Area Councils Activities Over Non-payment of January Staff Salaries.
By Sadiq Abubakar, Abuja.
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) chapter of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) on Thursday, paralyzed government activities after shutting down the six area councils secretariat to protest non-payment of their staff January 2022 salary.
Our correspondent, who went round some of the area councils observed as the secretariat main gates are under lock and key, while staff deserted the council, with only NULGE branch officials who were seen in front gate turning back staff coming into the secretariat.
The protesting NULGE officials carried placards with an inscription ‘No salary No work, ‘ ‘LG Autonomy we stand for’ ‘LG govt the third tier of Govt’ ‘You have no legal right to hold back our allocation’ and among others.
President of NULGE in the FCT, Comrade Abdullahi Ibrahim Kabi, while addressing newsmen at the front of Kuje area council secretariat gate, said the union decided to shut down the six area councils indefinitely after 48 hours ultimatum issued to the FCT administration to pay the January salary of the area council staff has elapsed.
He said the union was worried by the non-abatement of the current impasse between the FCT administration and the area councils chairmen over the non-release of the December 2021 allocation by the FCTA.
He said following the impasse between the area councils and the FCT administration, the union in its genuine efforts met with the six area councils chairmen on Wednesday, January, 16, where some issues such as IGR, FCT IRS, non-release of December 2021 allocation by FCTA among others were discussed.
The union, however, said that the only way out of the current infighting between the local government in Nigeria and their various state government is to grant autonomy to the local government.
The NULGE president, therefore, said area council staff will not resume work across the six area councils until the FCT administration pays January, the salary of its members.
Read more: NULGE Issues FCTA 48 Hours Utlmatum To Pay Area Councils January Staff Salary
The union, however, appreciated the efforts of the FCT administration in ensuring prudent and frugal spending of public funds at the area council level, saying it was in the interest of its members that bear the brunt whenever there was any discordance between the FCT administration and the area councils chairmen.
“And the FCT NULGE is still committed to and will not relent on its oars in the push and fight for local government autonomy in Nigeria,” he added.
Reacting, mandate secretary of the area councils services secretariat, Alhaji Abubakar Ibrahim Dantsoho, said the union should hold the six area councils chairmen responsible, saying the FCT administration has released allocation to them.
