Ekiti NULGE brands governors opposing autonomy of LG as enemies of Nigeria

The Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) Ekiti State has branded governors opposing genuine autonomy for all the local governments in Nigeria as enemies of Nigerians.

The union added that the autonomy of local governments would allow them deal with the myriad issues of insecurity, hunger, kidnapping and other social vices holding the country to ransom.

The NULGE President, Ekiti chapter, Comrade Babatunde Olatunde said this on Monday at a media briefing in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital.

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NULGE lamented the complete emasculation of local governments in the country by selfish governors, galvanizing support for the swift passage of the Local Government Autonomy Bill pending before State Assemblies.

“Governors speaking against full autonomy for our774 councils were doing so for selfish reasons and I consider them as enemies of the people, enemies of our nation.

“The continued challenges of insecurity, insurgency, and corruption are largely traced to the systematic destruction of the local governments. All these social vices staring us in the face were not there before 1999. The only antidote to all these is local government autonomy.

“It is high time the cord connecting LG to states be cut off, so that they can enjoy financial autonomy to be able to meet the needs of the people”, Olatunde said.

He added that the autonomy of local governments would invigorate aspects such as qualitative education, infrastructure facelift, peace and youth employment which have been ineffective for years.

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