Members of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees in Kwara State have given the state government a 14-day ultimatum to facilitate the payment of their outstanding June and July salaries or face an indefinite strike.

They threatened to embark on a strike after 14 days from August 16,2012, if the government failed to address issues concerning their salary arrears and welfare.

NULGE made its position known in a communiqu titled, 'The strangulation of Local Government system in Kwara State: The position of Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees', signed by the NULGE Secretary in the state, Mr. Abayomi Afolabi.

The communique was made available to journalists in Ilorin on Sunday.

NULGE alleged that the local governments were grossly under-funded and consequently could not meet up with their statutory challenges as the third tier of government.

On the unpaid June and July salaries, NULGE noted that such salaries should be paid through the 'state counterpart.'

It said, "NULGE observes that part of the reasons adduced for the above is the issue of the exploitative Joint Account which has not been beneficial to the local government system in Kwara State.

"The most worrisome is the fact that in-spite of the short-fall in the federal allocation, the usual detrimental deduction from the local government allocation are still being made, leaving the local government councils financially incapacitated."

It added that the constitutional roles of local government as a third tier of government had been usurped by the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.

NULGE added, "Thus it has reduced local government councils to mere appendages of the state, contrary to the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

"This is evident in the recent development where local government council chairmen go cap in hand to the ministry for approval and release of funds to run their councils.

"That the statutory roles of Local Government Service Commission, as the employer of labour in the local government system have been illegally hijacked by the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy Affairs and Community Development and Ministry of Establishment and Training."

It alleged that the ministries had taken it upon themselves to pry into the local government system with the aim of sacking 'legitimate local government workers.'

It urged the state government to immediately release sufficient funds to all local government councils in the state to meet up with their constitutional responsibilities.

It called for the stoppage of all deductions from Local government allocation to fund Joint Account and other State projects/programmes.

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