Chairman of the Ekiti State Local Government Service Commission,
Mr. Samuel Abejide has commended members of Nigerian Union of Local
Government Employees (NULGE), Ekiti State for their positive
disposition to Governor Kayode Fayemi-led administration.
Mr. Samuel Abejide gave the commendation at a meeting of the
commission with the executive members of NULGE led by its president,
Comrade Bunmi Ajimoko.
The Chairman, who implored members of the Union to remain steadfast
to the ideal of good governance which Fayemi-led administration stood
for, urged them to resist being used against their interest as was the
case in the last administration.
He said as people oriented government, the State Government would
sustain regular payment of salary and pensions, adding that the
government would also attend to other needs of workers and Ekiti
people through job creation, employment opportunities and social
investment schemes.
Mr. Abejide explained that to enable the state government attend to
the needs of the people, the Governor has been visiting and soliciting
support of viable partners home and abroad to assist in critical areas
of development to improve the living conditions of Ekiti people.
The Chairman who urged the Union to educate its members on the
resources available to the local governments to prevent misinformation
which could lead to misunderstanding between the government and
workers promised that the Union’s demands would be carefully
considered by the government for appropriate action.
The Permanent Secretary in the Commission, Mr. Mayowa Oyedeji who
promised to operate an open door administration urged the union to
cooperate with the state government in the management of the available
resources to protect the corporate existence of the local government
system.
He assured the union that the commission would act on its demands
for more Directorship cadre and appointment of Heads of Local
Government Administration in all the local government councils.
The Permanent Secretary said that the state government has raised a
committee to upgrade Local Government Training School at Ilawe-Ekiti
to meet the challenges of modern local government administration.
Mr. Oyedeji who implored the Union to prepare a memorandum to
contribute to the curriculum contents of the Training School assured
that the issue of arrears of the victimized NULGE officials would be
addressed.
Earlier, the NULGE President, Comrade Bunmi Ajimoko had listed the
Union’s demands to include strengthening and widening of scopes of
various units in the Local governments through adequate training
programs.
He urged the Commission to considered workers that had acquired
higher qualifications for career progression to eliminate stagnation
in the system.
Ajimoko who implored the Commission to take a position on the
transfer of health workers in the Local governments to the Primary
Health Care Development Agency to allay their fears also made an
appeal to the commission not to transfer Town Planners at the local
government to the state government, explaining that working in the
third tier of government would enhance local governments’ revenue
generation.
The President also pleaded with the Commission to address Palace
Staff problems, stressing that the incessant changing of Palace Staff
puts much pressure on local government finances.
Present at the meeting were the Commissioners and top government
functionaries in the Local Government Service Commission.