The Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) has issued an ultimatum to local government chairmen in Edo State, demanding the payment of outstanding salary arrears and statutory deductions to workers by the end of October. Failure to comply will result in industrial action.
Comrade Clifford Daudu, NULGE’s newly elected President in Edo State, made this declaration, citing the unbearable hardship faced by local government workers due to unpaid salaries spanning from 2017 to 2023. Additionally, unremitted statutory deductions totaling millions of naira have further exacerbated the issue.
Daudu emphasized that despite increased allocation to local governments from the federation account and improved internally generated revenue (IGR), the unpaid arrears are unacceptable. The union has written series of letters to the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) and held meetings, but the councils have yet to honor their commitments.
The agreed-upon plan to defray arrears from June 2024 remains unfulfilled, prompting Daudu’s warning that NULGE will mobilize its members for a total shutdown of the councils by the end of October if their demands are not met.
The potential strike poses significant uncertainty for local government workers and the communities they serve, underscoring the need for prompt resolution to the salary and deduction disputes.
