The Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees in Rivers State has announced a seven-day warning strike in protest of the alleged withholding of salaries for more than 500 workers in Emuoha Local Government Area.
NULGE, which represents staff in local government councils across Nigeria, is widely known for confronting irregularities in salary payments, arbitrary dismissals, and other welfare disputes in various states.
The PUNCH reported that last week, hundreds of workers from Emuoha LGA staged a protest at the council secretariat, claiming their names were removed from the payroll, thereby preventing them from receiving their salaries.
The protesters accused the LG Chairman, Dr. Chidi Lloyd, of unlawfully dismissing them and vowed to continue their protest until their names were restored, prompting the matter to be reported to the state leadership of NULGE.
Following this, the union, in a statement released in Port Harcourt on Monday, directed all its members in the state to immediately withdraw their services starting Tuesday, September 30, 2025.
The statement, titled “Notice of Strike Action,” was signed by Sunday Adeniran, President of NULGE, Rivers State Chapter, and obtained by PUNCH Online. It was addressed to all state offices of the union, branch chairmen, and the 23 local government council branches in the state, urging strict adherence to the directive.
Adeniran explained that the strike became necessary due to what he described as the “callous and unfair” actions of the Emuoha LG Chairman in withholding the salaries of council workers who are union members.
The statement reads in part, “The State leadership of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Rivers State Chapter, hereby notifies you that the State Executive Council (SEC) of the Union at its meeting held on 29th September, 2025, resolved to embark on a 7-day warning strike.
“Accordingly, effective from midnight of 30th September, 2025, all Local Government Employees across the state are hereby directed to withdraw their services immediately until further notice.
“This action has become necessary in view of the callous and unfair action of the Chairman of Emohua Local Government Area in denying our members their salaries.
“We count on your cooperation and solidarity in ensuring full compliance with this directive.”
In response, Emuoha LG Chairman Dr. Lloyd dismissed the protests, insisting that all legitimate staff had received their salaries. Regarding NULGE’s strike declaration, he accused the union’s leadership of attempting to blackmail him, stating:
“They (NULGE) are complaining about people whose names were smuggled into the payroll.
“In 2024, the staff strength was about 1,000 and some fractions, but when we came back, the staff strength had gone up to 1,600, and there was no employment.”
