NULGE faults confab committee’s plan to expunge LGAs from constitution

The Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees has asked the members of the National Conference not to approve the recommendation of its sub-committee on status of local government councils.
The President of the union, Ibrahim Khaleel, who made the call at a news conference on Saturday in Abuja, urged the conference to jettison any decision that was against the autonomy of the councils.
The Committee on Devolution of Power and Structure of Government of the conference has recommended that local government councils be put under the control of state governments and expunged from the constitution.
Khaleed said: “The attention of NULGE has been drawn to the position of the committee on Power Devolution and Structure of Government which has resolved that local government system in Nigeria should be put under the control of state governments.
“NULGE also frowns at calls that local government councils should be expunged from the constitution.
“This position is arbitrary and did not take into consideration the feelings of Nigerians and recommendations of previous panels, committees and the National Assembly.”
Khaleel said it would be “wise and logical” for the Conference to base its position on the reports done after collating and analysing memoranda from the public on the issue.
Khaleel further said the composition of the delegates to the conference did not give adequate representation to the local governments.
He said: “I am there as a delegate under the auspices of organised labour.
“NULGE was not recognised by the organizers of this conference as competent enough to represent the interest of local governments.
“None of the 774 local government councils was considered as important to represent the interest of the grassroots at the conference.
“Our position is very clear on this issue: NULGE will not accept anything less than strengthening the institutional framework of local governments to function as a tier of government.”
The president noted that local governments must remain recognised as provided in the 1999 Constitution, adding that any move to expunge it would be opposed by the union.
The NULGE boss said handing over the third tier of government to state governments was a sure way of wiping out local governments from existence.
He advised the conference to conduct an independent research into how the councils had faired under the control of the state governments, particularly with respect to funding, structure, democratisation and policy.