The Organised Labour, comprising the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees, Nigeria Union of Teachers, and Nigerian Union of Pensioners, has proposed that gross salary of local government workers should be domiciled with the Local Government Service Commission, while 2% of total LG allocation should be allocated for Local Government Service Commission running grants and local government training.
They also proposed that staff redistribution, placement, and auditing exercise to ascertain the actual numbers of local government workers, primary school teachers, and pensioners in all 774 Local Government Areas nationwide.
Under the Joint Action Committee of local government-based unions, they also recommended an embargo on recruitment of new staff into local government, including teachers, for one year from the date of the Supreme Court judgment on direct payment to ensure stability and consideration.
The Presidents of NUT, Titus Amba, NULGE, Ambali Akeem, and NUP, Godwin Abumisi, outlined these recommendations in a seven-point proposal aimed at effective operations of local government during the direct remittance of federal allocation following the recent Supreme Court granting of financial autonomy to local governments.
“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,” the union leaders stated.
They further recommended, “Recruitment of new staff into Local Government and teaching should be suspended for the period of 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.”
The JAC also advocated for the restructuring of supervisory institutions controlling and supervising local government workers.
It stated, “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.”
Specifically, the union proposed statutory membership for key agencies, including the Local Government Service Commission, State Universal Basic Education Board, Local Government Staff Pension Board, and Primary Health Care Agency.
For instance, they recommended that the Local Government Service Commission should include representatives of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria and NULGE, while SUBEB should include representatives of ALGON and NUT.
Additionally, the JAC proposed that the Federal Government should intervene in procuring machines and equipment for local governments, such as tractors, graders, bulldozers, and refuse disposal vans.
They also recommended the reorganization of peace and security committees in local governments for indexing, registration, kitting, intelligence gathering, policing, and regular bi-monthly meetings, coordinated and funded by the local government.
On workers’ welfare and industrial harmony, the union leaders proposed that gross salary of local government workers should be domiciled with the Local Government Service Commission, while 2% of total LG allocation should be allocated for Local Government Service Commission running grants and local government training.
Similarly, they recommended that gross salary of primary school teachers should be domiciled with SUBEB, with 1.5% of total LGA allocation for SUBEB running grants.
The JAC also proposed that 25% of gross salary of teachers and local government workers should be deducted from LG allocation for payment of pension and gratuity, to be domiciled with the local government staff Pension Board.
Finally, they recommended strengthening the Federal Ministry of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs as Supervisory Ministry for policy formulation, coordination, implementation, and supervision.
