Autonomy: Don’t hand over workers’ salaries to LGs —Labour tells FG
The Organized Labour, consisting of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), and the Nigerian Union of Pensioners (NUP), has called on the Federal Government to avoid transferring workers’ salaries to local governments.
Instead, they have proposed a thorough staff redistribution, placement, and auditing exercise to determine the actual number of local government workers, primary school teachers, and pensioners across Nigeria’s 774 local government areas.
Operating under the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of local government-based unions, the group also recommended a one-year embargo on recruiting new staff, including teachers, following the Supreme Court’s ruling on direct payment to local governments. The aim is to ensure stability during the transition to financial autonomy.
In a joint statement, Titus Amba (President of NUT), Ambali Akeem (President-General of NULGE), and Godwin Abumisi (President of NUP) outlined a seven-point recommendation. They emphasized that a redistribution and audit of staff is necessary for the smooth implementation of the direct payment system.
“Recruitment of new staff into local governments and teaching positions should be suspended for one year from the date of the Supreme Court Judgment on direct payment,” the statement read. “This will help local governments focus on developmental projects and delivering essential services.”
JAC also called for the restructuring of supervisory institutions overseeing local government workers. They suggested expanding the statutory membership of these institutions to include local government chairpersons, heads of local government unions, and other key stakeholders to improve quality control and promote inclusivity.
Specifically, JAC proposed the inclusion of representatives from the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) and NULGE in the Local Government Service Commission. They also recommended that representatives from ALGON and NUT be included in the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) and the Local Government Staff Pension Board. For the Primary Health Care Agency, they suggested adding ALGON representatives and healthcare practitioners from the local governments.
Due to significant infrastructure deficits and limited capacity for service delivery in many local governments, JAC urged the Federal Government to support the procurement of essential machinery and equipment such as tractors, graders, refuse disposal vans, and vocational skill acquisition materials. The funds for this procurement should be deducted from local government allocations on an installment basis.
Additionally, JAC called for the reorganization of the local government peace and security committees, emphasizing the importance of registration, intelligence gathering, and bi-monthly meetings coordinated and funded by local governments.
To ensure worker welfare and industrial harmony, JAC proposed that local government worker salaries should be managed by the Local Government Service Commission. They also suggested that 2% of the total local government allocation be set aside for training and running costs. Teacher salaries, they argued, should be managed by SUBEB, with 1.5% of the allocation reserved for running costs.
Furthermore, 25% of the salaries of teachers and local government workers should be deducted for pensions and gratuities, to be managed by the Local Government Staff Pension Board. A 5% grant for traditional councils should also be remitted to their respective accounts.
Lastly, JAC recommended strengthening the Federal Ministry of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs to oversee local government reforms, policy formulation, and coordination. The ministry should organize quarterly summits to assess the impact of government economic policies and revise the local government scheme of service every five years to boost productivity.
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