KEY POINTS
- The labour unions recommend reviewing the areas of local governments and staff re-deployment.
- Unions have since called for a one year ban on recruitment in a bid to allow stability after Supreme Court’s ruling.
- Demands for the reshuffle of the local government institutions for the improvement in the quality of the institutions and affirmative action.
The Organized Labour made up of Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) and Nigerian Union of Pensioners (NUP) has called on the Federal government not to embark on direct payment of salaries to local governments.
Labour call on FG to stop direct payment of salaries to local governments
The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of Local Government Unions made staff redistribution recommendations, placement auditing recommendations, as well as one year no recruitment for local government employees and teachers.
All these are as a result of the Supreme Court decision which conferred on the local governments the independence they have been aspiring for to enable them receive direct fund from the federal government.
Labour unions complained of the easy implementation of the direct payment system and demanded an accurate headcount, working local government civil servants, teachers and pensioners to the 774 local governments in Nigeria.
Recommendations for effective local council functioning
JAC’s suggestions include the proposal for local governments to stop seeking new employees especially in civil service sectors so that they can concentrate on developmental activities and efficient service provision.
However, JAC said recruitment of new staff should stop for a year from the Supreme Court’s ruling in order to maintain stability so that local governments reorganizing the operations could assess the existing vacancies.
Moreover, JAC recommended the strategic reform for further improvement, naming an urgent need to revamp the supervisory bodies relevant to supervising local government workers.
They unsuccessfully campaigned for the appointment of local authority leaders, trade-union representatives, and other relevant people as statutory members of schools to increase representativeness and, moreover, graduated bureaucratic quality.
To complement the areas of infrastructure and service delivery deficiencies, the unions also called for Federal Government intervent in the procurement of vital equipment for local governments.
According to Vanguard, Such materials as tractors and refuse disposal vans that incurred capital intensive expenditure could be acquired over a time from the deductions from the local government recurrent expenditures.
JAC also pointed out to the importance of staff training and capacity enhancement for assured sustainable industrial and efficiency enhancement in local government work.
