By Ikhili EBALU, Benin City
The president, National Union of Local Government Employees, NULGE, Edo State chapter, Comrade Lazarus Adorolor has called on the leadership and members of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum to, as a matter of urgency call its chairman and EKITI State Governor, Dr. Kayode FAYEMI to order so as not to heat up the polity as NIGERIA journey towards the 2023 general Election.
Comrade Adorolor who made the call in benin city while briefing newsmen after an emergency State Executive Council(SEC) meeting of NULGE said Dr FAYEMI’s recent disposition on the issue of local government autonomy in Nigeria runs counter to his avowed pro democratic stand, an indication that could best describe him as an unsettled and double standard mind, not capable of leading a state let alone the revered governors’ forum.
The EDO NULGE President then challenged the EKITI state governor to come out clean with his government’s dealings with Local Government Council Authorities’ funds and resources, stressing that “governor Fayemi should be bold enough, as a pro democracy activist he claims to be and make public the income, disbursements, deductions and other relevant financial interface between EKITI state government and the various Local Governments at the level of the Joint accounts committee”.
Comrade Lazarus Adorolor also challenged EKITI governor to make public the numbers his citizens that his administration has gainfully employed into the services of the various councils in the state.
While appreciating Governor GODWIN Obaseki of EDO state “who has been so religiously committed to paying his government’s approved Forty Thousand Naira minimum wage to all workers in the state, including Local government council workers,” the NULGE boss enjoined other states government who have approved the Local Government autonomy bill not to look back while encouraging those who are yet to consider it, to as a matter of urgency join the progressives by approving the bill.”
In the same vein, EDO NULGE Boss also commended Edo state House of Assembly, as well as those of Abia, Kogi, kastina, Ogun, Anambra, Delta, Akwa ibom, Osun for their prompt passage of the bill while condemning in Strong terms Ekiti and Lagos states for not passing the bill.
He therefore called on “all presidential candidates as well as other candidates seeking elective positions in the forthcoming election to speak up and support the passage of the Local Government autonomy bill as NULGE and all Local Government workers in Nigeria will use their PVCs to reward support for our demand.”