NULGE rejects APC Committee report on Local Government

 …says it misrepresents positions of Nigerians

The Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees ( NULGE ) has rejected the proposal by the APC Committee in True Federalism that Local Government Councils be delisted from the constitution as a tier of government and be left to the whims of the states.

The union said that the report was a predetermined position of a cabal within the APC to derail the ideals of the Nigerian people as the position being canvassed by the report does not represent the view of the Nigerian people in general and members of the APC in particular.

National President of the Union, Comrade Ibrahim Khaleel said at a news conference in Abuja on Monday that if the party and the Buhari government are sincere to the issue of restructuring and devolution of power in the country, power should be devolved to the local governments rather than removing power from the federal and local government to the states.

He asked the leadership of the party to stop dissipating energy on the report and dump it in the trash can especially the aspect that deals with the delisting the local government from the constitution and ask state Houses of Assembly to wake up to their responsibility, and give a voice to the local government autonomy bill already passed by both chambers of the National Assembly.

He said: “Our union has been canvassing for an autonomous local government system in Nigeria through nationwide advocacy campaign that embraces all the 36 states and 774 local government areas of the federation. We had audience with all the governors of the 36 states of the federation or their representative, state assembly members and other stakeholders. 

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“We equally participated in all the zonal consultation held by the APC restructuring committee across the country. We are sure that those of you that followed or covered these events are fully aware of our visibility and what transpired during the APC restricting committee consultations in all the venues.

“We wish as a union to, on a very strong term reject and condemn the aspect of the report that aimed at scrapping local government by delisting it from the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria as a third tier of government, as we see this as a predetermined position of some cabals in the party, not the party as a whole let alone, the position of the Nigerian people. 

“We call in the party leadership to put the report in the dust hon and not to dissipate unnecessary energy on it, discard and shred the report as it was predetermined, self serving, mischievous and didn’t reflect the position of either it members or Nigerians at large.

“If we are very sincere to the issue of restructuring and devolution of power in Nigeria, power should, as a matter of urgency devolve to the grassroots other than removing power from the federal and local government to the states government.

“Nigerians have been clamouring for a functional, democratic local government for a long time. In 2003, the 7th Assembly had taken the debate on local government to the 360 federal constituencies where about 327 clearly supported an autonomous local government system by way of ensuring constitutional reforms. 

“In the same vein, the 8th 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 the State Assemblies waiting for their action, some governors are ganging up again to hijack the process at the State Houses of Assembly.

“The aspect of the committee recommendation is just an attempt to hijack and divert the ongoing process of the constitutional amendment process awaiting action at the state Houses of Assembly.

“We wish to express our profound appreciation and gratitude to the Heroes of democracy and governors of Benue, Cross Rivers and Bauchi states and their Houses of Assembly leadership and the entire members for overwhelmingly adopting the bills on local government, after conducting public hearing by the houses. Democracy is about people and Nigerians have spoken clearly, loud and their opinion must be respected at this critical period. 

“We appeal passionately to the remaining state governors to support Nigerians by identifying with the position of the majority if Nigerians allow state assembly members to discharge their constitutional, mandate without interference and undue influence, where the state legislators should urgently organise public hearing on the bills that aim at strengthening local government systems and ensure that they stand with the people they represent.

“The leadership of the union at both the state and local government levels are hereby directed to renew and redouble their efforts in engaging their state legislators to ensure the success of the struggle, while our comrades from other sister unions, civil society allies and all Nigerians are urged not to relent on their efforts in this regards.”

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