The Organised Labour, comprising the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), and Nigerian Union of Pensioners (NUP), has called for a comprehensive staff audit and redistribution exercise to ascertain the exact number of local government workers, primary school teachers, and pensioners in the 774 local government areas across the country.
Operating under the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of local government-based unions, the coalition recommended an embargo on recruitment of new employees into local governments, including teachers, for a period of one year.
This proposal is aimed at ensuring stability and proper staff placement following the Supreme Court’s recent ruling that granted financial autonomy to local governments.
In a communiqué issued after their meeting, the unions noted that the embargo should commence from the date of the Supreme Court judgment on direct payment to local governments.
According to the committee, this step is crucial to address overstaffing issues and streamline local government operations in line with the financial autonomy policy.
The unions also emphasized that the proposed exercise would help prevent ghost workers and ensure that only genuine staff and pensioners benefit from the direct disbursement of funds to local governments.
The President of NUT, Titus Amba, President-General of NULGE, Ambali Akeem, and President of NUP, Godwin Abumisi, in seven-point recommendations, noted that “For a hitch-free take off of the direct payment system JAC recommends that there should be staff redistribution, placement and auditing exercise to ascertain the actual numbers of Local Government workers, primary schools teachers and pensioners.
“Recruitment of new staff into Local Government and teaching should be suspended for one year from the date of the Supreme Court Judgment on direct payment to ensure stability and consideration. This will enable Local Government to focus on developmental projects and real service delivery.”
Among other recommendations, the JAC equally advocated the “restructuring of supervisory institutions controlling and supervising Local Government workers. These agencies are to be restructured by way of expanding their statutory members to include chairmen of local government; heads of local government based unions and other relevant stakeholders for quality control and inclusivity.”
For the Local Government Service Commission, JAC proposed for statutory membership to include: a representative of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria, ALGON, and a representative of NULGE, while for the State Universal Basic Education Board, SUBEB, statutory membership should include a representative of ALGON and representative of NUT.
Similarly, Local Government Staff Pension Board statutory membership should include representatives of ALGON, NUP, NULGE and NUT, while Primary Health Care Agency statutory membership should representatives of ALGON and health practitioners from the local government.
According to the recommendations, “Due to the huge deficit in infrastructural development and lack of capacity for service delivery in many local governments nationwide, JAC recommends that Federal Government should intervene in the procurement of machines and equipment such as tractors, graders, bulldozers, refuse disposal vans (tipper lorries), septic evacuation van, public address system van and supply of materials and equipment for the vocational skill acquisition centres. Funds for the procurement of these materials should be deducted from Local Government allocation overtime on an instalment basis.
“The peace and security committee of the local government should be reorganized for indexing, registration, kitting and intelligence gathering, policing and regular bi-monthly meetings coordinated and funded by the local government.
“For worker’s welfare and industrial harmony, training and capacity building and sustainability of industrial stability in the Local Government system, the following payments should be made the first line of charge and domiciled at the relevant agencies.
“Gross salary of local government workers should be domiciled with the Local Government Service Commission. Two per cent of the total LG allocation for Local Government Service Commission running grants and Local Government Training should be domiciled with the Local Government Service Commission. The gross salary of primary school teachers should be domiciled with SUBES. 1.5 per cent of total LGA allocation for SUBEB running grants should be domiciled with SUBEB
“25 per cent of the gross salary of teachers and local government workers should be deducted from LG allocation for the payment of pension and gratuity and should be domiciled with local government staff Pension Board. Five per cent grant for traditional council should be deducted and remitted into traditional council accounts.”
Also, JAC proposed the “strengthening of the Federal Ministry of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs as a Supervisory Ministry This is for policy formulation, coordination, implementation and supervision. To also coordinate reforms in the Local Government through the quarterly summit to review government economic policy on Local Government Scheme of Service every five years to enhance productivity and policy assurance at the local government level.”