Date: 2017-04-16

Local government workers in Kwara state under the aegis of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE)? yesterday took to the streets in Ilorin, the state capital,calling for full autonomy for the councils.

The protesters who cut across the 16 local government areas of the state also called for the stoppage of alleged deductions from the councils funds.

They carried placards with various inscriptions such as "we want full autonomy", "stop deducting our federal allocations", "council workers are hungry and suffering in Kwara", "No meaningful development at the grassroots", we want to collect our IGR by ourselves, 'scrap JAAC.'

Speaking at the state House of Assembly complex in Ilorin, where they presented their demands to leadership of the House, the state president of NULGE, Comrade Oloruntade Ibikunle, called for full autonomy in local councils in the state, adding that the Joint Account Allocation Committee (JAAC) should be scrapped with immediate effect.

This, according to him would allow the council workers to have financial autonomy and put an end to payment of salary based on percentage to the workers instead of full salary.

He also decried slow pace of development in the local councils due to the non utilisation of council workers, saying that consultants had taken over the council workers' duties, especially collection of Internally Generated Revenue.