‘Do not to give workers’ salary to LGs’ – LABOUR UNION

The Organized Labour, comprising the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), and the Nigerian Union of Pensioners (NUP), has urged the federal government not to transfer workers’ salaries directly to local governments. Following the recent Supreme Court ruling that granted financial autonomy to local governments, the unions, under the Joint Action Committee (JAC), made several recommendations to ensure a smooth transition.

One of their key proposals is a comprehensive staff redistribution, placement, and auditing exercise to accurately determine the number of local government workers, primary school teachers, and pensioners across Nigeria’s 774 local government areas. JAC also recommended a one-year embargo on the recruitment of new staff into local governments and teaching positions, starting from the date of the court ruling, to ensure stability.

In a joint statement, NUT President Titus Amba, NULGE President-General Ambali Akeem, and NUP President Godwin Abumisi outlined their position: “For a smooth transition to the direct payment system, we recommend a thorough staff redistribution, placement, and auditing exercise to ascertain the actual numbers of local government workers, primary school teachers, and pensioners. This will provide clarity and prevent overstaffing.”

They added, “We also propose that recruitment of new staff into local government and teaching positions should be suspended for one year, starting from the Supreme Court’s judgment, to ensure stability. This will allow local governments to focus on developmental projects and real service delivery without being overwhelmed by new hires.”

The seven-point recommendations from JAC highlight the need to pause recruitment to give local governments time to adapt to the new financial system and ensure efficient service delivery before expanding their workforce.