Workers of local Government councils have been ordered to promptly return to their job positions by the Association of Concerned Local Government Staff, a faction within the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees in Osun State.
Since February 17, 2025, employees in Osun’s council areas have been instructed to take a leave of absence by Dr. Nathaniel Ogungbangbe, the president of NULGE State.
Ogungbangbe mentioned the tension created by the resistance to the state government’s intentions and the return of council members and chairmen chosen in the local government election held on October 15, 2022, to execute a ruling from the Court of Appeal, Akure, in their respective LGAs.
However, the dispute took a new turn on Saturday when Adedayo Adekunle, the new association’s state coordinator, told journalists in Osogbo that the state’s council secretariat closures were unlawful.
“Despite his claim that the Local Government Service is no longer safe for staff to work in, he opened Local Governments for the purpose of conducting his second term election where he succeeded in manipulating himself to win second term,” Adekunle added, listing numerous offences committed by Ogungbangbe to keep himself in office for another term.
“No life was lost during the elections. No person was arrested and social parties were held during the day and nights to celebrate the success. Yet, all Maternity Centers were locked against women and children and they were and are still sentenced to death by the reckless shut down of the Local Government Service in Osun State by this desperate politician in the garb of a unionist.”
Ogungbangbe, while responding, however, described Adedayo’s group as illegal and agents paid by politicians to cause disharmony.
He said, “All primary healthcare centres in the state are working. They are not shot down as Adedayo claimed. We didn’t use local government secretariats for NULGE elections. We used a designated place for it. Arrangement for the election had been long concluded before crises started that forced us to direct our members to stay at home. You can see the man told lies upon lies against me.”
In addition to pointing out additional violations, the new association’s Osun Coordinator, Ogungbangbe, stated that the termination of LG employees’ services was an act of recklessness and egregious evil that caused needless suffering for the general population.
“For over a month now, those who need marriage certificates, local government identification and other important documents have been denied unjustly. Local Government workers who are due for study release are watching helplessly, and the local government cooperative loan deductions that usually serve as relief for members in times of need cannot be assessed because of the illegal withdrawal of services.
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“The Osun NULGE is apolitical. But to show the height of Ogungbangbe’s desperation, he joined the Peoples Democratic Party in a suit against the APC Chairmen and Councilors, thus making himself and NULGE a contending party in the struggle for the soul of the Local Government. He has the right to continue to maintain his suit as a person, but cannot justifiably close down the Local Government Service without carrying along all other Unions and members of NULGE.
“We therefore call on all local government workers to resume immediately. We assure to provide leadership by liaising with security agents to ensure the security of lives and properties of all the workers. We also assure our members that all the infraction committed by Ogungbagbe against the constitution of our union will not go unchallenged at the court of law to discourage a very bad precedent in civil service and NULGE administration. This is the time to save million lives,” Adedayo said.
Ogungbangbe, who claimed that Adedayo ran for president in the most recent NULGE state election and lost to him, refused to back down from any of the accusations made against him and maintained that LG employees would not comply with the new group’s instructions.
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He said, “Let me tell you that workers cannot return to work because it is not their group that said workers should stay at home. Workers stay at home for reasons. Imagine if workers of the local government were on duty on the day when six people died due to the crisis that happened at the councils. So, if I said my members should stay at home because I do not want to endanger the life of anybody, have I gone wrong in any way?
“There is no union called Concerned LG workers in Osun State. They should tender their certificate of incorporation. The Nigeria Labour Congress is aware of NULGE’s position. Also, the national body of our union is aware, and they have even written a letter to Osun telling the government that they are in support of our decision.
“So, if anybody is now coming up to say another thing, they must have been paid to do what they are doing. No member of local government in Osun State will follow this useless instruction because they are not registered. They also lied that I single-handedly supervised the closure of health facilities in the state.These are all lies. Health workers are on duty. Maternity and health facilities in every local government are working.”
