The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has berated the state factional chapter of the National Union of Local Government Employees(NULGE) led by Dr Nathaniel Ogungbangbe on its ignominious and unpatriotic role being played on the delayed payment of the federal allocations to the local government council areas in the state.
It would be recalled that the state President of the NULGE, issued a statement yesterday which is widely reported in the media today, warning the Accountant-General of the Federation, the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Central Bank of Nigeria not to pay the accumulated federal allocations due to the local government councils in the state.
It is now crystal clear to the public that the NULGE leadership is working in cahoot with the Governor Ademola Adeleke-led administration in the state to further prolong the untold suffering being meted on the innocent people of the state through the delay in the payment of the accumulated local government allocations.
The actions and inactions of the state NULGE that has been on sympathy strike orchestrated by Governor Adeleke for seven months’ running have glaringly shown that the supposed organized labour union is a potent branch of the state chapter of the PDP.
We want to enjoin the members of the public to discountenance the statement credited to Ogungbangbe that the state chapter of the NULGE is not involved in politics as no political body can outdo the verifiably partisan body in the state under Governor Adeleke.
There is no justification under the sun why the Osun State people should be denied the access to local government councils’ allocations as there are constitutionally-elected local government council chairmen and councillors across the state through the Court of Appeal judgement of the 10th of February, 2025 which reinstated the APC executive council bosses across the state.
We want to enjoin the Federal Government and its agencies to disregard the apparently sponsored statement of the partisan NULGE as it was the metaphorical hand of Jacob while the voice belongs to Esau.
The stakeholders in the Osun State project should ask Ogungbangbe to tell the whole world why he called out all the local government council workers since seven months ago, subsequently aiding the lingering suffering at the grassroots.
If it is true that it is the duty and obligation of the NULGE leadership to protect the jobs of its members as falsely canvassed in the statement under discussion, Ogungbangbe and his cohorts would not feel comfortable to ask their members to desert the local government council areas for seven months running while the NULGE leadership are hobnobbing with the government of the day, living large and smiling to the banks from the proceeds of being partners in crime in causing stalemate in the state.
That Ogungbangbe could append his signature under the tirade warning the Accountant-General of the Federation, the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Central Bank of Nigeria not to pay the said money to the duly elected local government council chairmen and councillors is a confirmation that himself, his cohorts and those he is running the shameful errand for are administratively challenged.
Under the Nigerian Law, trade unions function as collective representatives of workers, legally mandated to negotiate better terms and conditions of employment such as wages and benefits through collective bargaining and industrial action: Comrade Nweke and Ors v Comrade Simeon and Ors NICN /EN/37/2018.
NULGE, or any part thereof, are not empowered legally, to issue the statement they issued as it has nothing to do with the conditions of their employment.
Also courts, and administrative bodies in Nigeria, are, by law, restrained from acting on rumours, otherwise, they will be committing CRIMINAL defamation: Skye Bank v Akinpelu (2010)LPELR-3073(SC).
The Osun State chapter of the NULGE has no locus to determine the effects of the actions on the Accountant General of the Federation on the suit before the Supreme Court as they are not the PDP, not the APC, not the APC or PDP chairmen or councillors. Not parties to the suit, not involved at all: Adoga v Nigerian Navy NICN/ABJ/392/2019. They have no right to step into politics at all.
In summary, the role being made to be played by the factional chapter of the Osun State NULGE on the delayed payment of the federal allocations of the state local government councils is that of a meddlesome interloper.
e-SIGNED:
*Sooko TAJUDEEN LAWAL, Chairman, Osun State APC.*
