To drive rapid and healthy development to the hinterlands across the nation, the members of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) in Ebonyi State have staged a peaceful protest in Abakaliki's capital city.
NULGE during its peaceful assembly in Ebonyi on Thursday 22nd December 2022 demanded the implementation of Local Government Financial Autonomy in the State.
NATIONAL PANEL reports that over a hundred NULGE members drawn from the thirteen (13) LGAs in the State began the peaceful protest at the NULGE office, Vanco to the State House of Assembly with some of them carrying placards and banners with different inscriptions such as "Make Local Government Work better through Autonomy," "Implement Local Government Autonomy Now," "No LG Autonomy, No Election," among others.
They expressed the need for the government in power to respond urgently to their demand before the dates of the 2023 General Elections.
Though there was an attempt to disrupt the protest by a government security outfit, the State Chairman of NULGE, Mr Stanley Matthew Awa said the matter was later resolved and the protest continued.
Addressing Journalists at the end of the exercise, the Ebonyi State NULGE President, Mr Awa noted that the peaceful protest was a national Program aimed at drawing the attention of governments, especially the State House of Assemblies to enact and enforce the full implementation of Financial Autonomy for Local Governments across the country.
He said: "We as NULGE are a law-abiding Union, we don't fight the government, but we support every government in power to achieve success.
"We are happy with the infrastructure Development of our Governor Engr. David Nweze Umahi. We can't fight his Government, but we are calling for Autonomy so that things will be better at the Local Government level.
"The peaceful protest we had today is a national Program that is being carried out in all the States in Nigeria. The aim is to peacefully appeal to governments, especially the State House of Assembly to pass laws that will guarantee full financial Autonomy for LGAs in Nigeria.
"We believe that with LG autonomy, workers will be better taken care of and Development will reach the grassroots faster."
He further explained that the attempt to disrupt the protest was later resolved with the authorities concerned.
"What happened was that the ALGON Leadership and the State authority wanted to know why we embarked on the protest. After explaining to them, they allowed us to continue with it and I can tell you that the peaceful protest was a success in Ebonyi State.
"We are hopeful that government will respond to our request for full implementation of Financial Autonomy for Local Governments in Nigeria" he concluded."
Others who spoke to Journalists, including the State NULGE Secretary, Comrade Peter Eni, and the Treasurer Comrade Ogbonna Ofor Igwese among others called on both the Legislative and Executive arms of the government to as a matter of importance, make legislation and implement the much talked about Local Government Autonomy to improve on the welfare of LG workers to further advance the Nigeria Democracy at the Local Government level.
