The Organised Labour, consisting of key unions such as the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), and the Nigerian Union of Pensioners (NUP), has urged the Federal Government not to directly hand over workers’ salaries to local governments. This request comes as the country prepares for the implementation of financial autonomy granted to local governments by a recent Supreme Court ruling.
The labour unions, under the Joint Action Committee (JAC) for local government-based unions, have also proposed several measures to ensure smooth operations during the transition to financial autonomy. They emphasize the need for a comprehensive audit and redistribution of staff to determine the actual number of workers, including local government employees, primary school teachers, and pensioners, in all 774 local government areas across Nigeria.
In their seven-point recommendations, the unions highlighted the importance of this audit, stating that it would provide clarity on staffing needs and prevent overemployment.
“For a hitch-free take off of the direct payment system JAC recommends that there should be staff redistribution, placement and auditing exercise to ascertain the actual numbers of Local Government workers, primary schools teachers and pensioners.
“Recruitment of new staff into Local Government and teaching should be suspended for one year from the date of the Supreme Court Judgment on direct payment to ensure stability and consideration. This will enable Local Government to focus on developmental projects and real service delivery”.
Among other recommendations, the JAC equally advocated the “restructuring of supervisory institutions controlling and supervising Local Government workers. These agencies are to be restructured by way of expanding their statutory members to include chairmen of local government; heads of local government based unions and other relevant stakeholders for quality control and inclusivity.”
Additionally, the unions advocate for restructuring the supervisory bodies overseeing local government workers. They suggest including representatives from local government chairmen, union leaders, and other key stakeholders in these supervisory agencies. This, according to them, would enhance quality control and promote inclusivity in decision-making.
On the issue of pensions, the JAC proposes that the Local Government Staff Pension Board include representatives from various bodies such as the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON), NUP, NULGE, and NUT to ensure fair representation of all interests. Similarly, for health services, they recommend that local government health agencies include representatives from ALGON and healthcare professionals.
The unions stress that strengthening local government operations will lead to better development outcomes and service delivery across the country. They also call for the reorganization of local government peace and security committees, focusing on intelligence gathering, regular meetings, and proper funding to improve security at the grassroots level.
