By; VICTORY DURUAMAKU, Owerri
National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) on Thursday condemned the failure of the Imo State Government to approve the Local Government Autonomy Bill as done by other states of the federation.
Addressing a press conference in Owerri, Imo State, the national auditor of the union – Comrade Ayuba Shamdung Jepla said that the union is appreciative of state legislatures that voted in favour of the local government autonomy bill.
According to him, the non passage of the bill by Imo lawmakers was not only retrogressive and undemocratic but a calculated plan to enthrone abject poverty and misery in the third tier of government.
Said he, “the government of the state did not equally put his best to ensure the passage of the bill. This is indeed a setback on the development of democracy in Nigeria”.
He recalled that on September 2017, the national president of the union comrade Ibrahim Kahalee in company of some, national officers paid a schedule visits to both Imo speaker, Chief Acho Ihim and the governor Rochas Okorocha and they assured them that they would assist to ensure that the bill would be passed.
“Sadly and recently, the attention of Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees has been drawn to the non passage of the local government autonomy by Imo State of Assembly against the earlier promises made by the union by the Speaker and the governor of the state.
“This development which the speaker claimed that the non passage of bill was for the interest of Imo and South-East people came to us as rude should not only to members and people of Imo state but to Nigerians in general” he concluded.
