The crisis rocking Osun State local government has deepened as the state chapter of Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) has directed its members to ignore the resume work directive by a group in the local government service in the state.
It would be recalled that a group under the aegis of Concerned Local Government Workers had, at a press conference during the week, called on local government workers in the state to resume work on Monday
However, addressing a press conference in Osogbo, the state president of NULGE, Comrade Nathaniel Ogungbangbe, urged workers to disregard the directive of the Association of Concerned Local Government Workers, describing it as an illegal body.
According to him, the group is made up of “unregistered and suspended members” acting as a political front for the All Progressives Congress (APC) with the aim of destabilising the state.
“The leadership of NULGE has not directed our members to resume work. We urge all members to remain at home until further instructions are given,” Ogungbangbe said.
He commended Governor Ademola Adeleke for prioritising the welfare of civil servants and pensioners, stressing that the union would continue to defend the interests of its members.
While insisting that NULGE is non-partisan, Ogungbangbe accused the suspended members of neglecting workers’ welfare under the previous administration, which, he said, subjected employees to half-salary payments and anti-worker policies.
The union further maintained that no screening or resumption exercise could take place in the local government service without the involvement of the Osun State Local Government Service Commission.
