By Michael Oche
Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) has called on the federal government to take prompt action and allow for the establishment of community police across the 774 local government areas in the country.
The Union also called for the establishment of an intervention fund to address ineffective, decay and moribund infrastructures in local government areas. A situation which it said has led to rural-urban migration and a threat to security.
These were part of resolutions reached at the end of the Union’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held on Wednesday in Abuja and contained in a communiqué made available to journalists.
The Communiqué signed by NULGE president, Comrade Ambali Akeem Olatunji and general secretary, Comrade Isah Gambo, noted that the NEC-in-Session called for urgent measures to tackle the multifaceted challenges insecurity challenges threatening the nation’s stability.
“We emphasize the necessity for collaboration among federal, state and local government authorities as well as active involvement of community leaders, traditional rulers and religious heads in developing comprehensive strategies to combat insecurities in Nigeria,” it noted.
On autonomy for local government, the NULGE leadership called on the National Assembly to reintroduce the urgent and unequivocal implementation of Local Government Autonomy in Nigeria.
The union commended the National Assembly and all the States that accented to the Local Government Autonomy Bill, noting that unfortunately, it did not sail through the required two-third of the entire States to complete the process.
It reads in part, “The NEC-in-Session having recognised the evolving landscape and the importance of efficient governance at the grassroots level, hereby advocating for a timely and thorough revision of the scheme of service by the National Council of Establishment to ensure optimal functionality and service delivery by our members in the Local Government in Nigeria.
“The session urges relevant authorities to initiate the process of reviewing the Scheme of Service without delay. A forward looking and inclusive approach to this revision is essential for building resilient and effective Local Government Systems that can adapt to the evolving needs of our communities.”
