Date: 2018-05-01

Nigeria Union of Local Government employees has appealed to Kwara State Governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed, to return four major revenue items back to local governments in the state.

NULGE State Secretary, Hutonu Rafiu, made the appeal in Ilorin on Monday in a statement made available to News Agency of Nigeria.

Rafiu, while commending Governor Ahmed for the release of 17 revenue items to the councils, urged the government to release citizen fees, land charge and tenement rate, advert and signage and communication mast.

He said: "We promise that we shall strive and do all the needful to ensure that we surpass what the Kwara State Internal Revenue Service have been generating. "We also plead and urge the governor for the release of other four major generating items to Local Governments.

"These include citizen fees, land charge and tenement rate, advert and signage and communication mast."

According to NULGE Secretary, the four revenue items were statutorily the responsibility of the local government by the provision of 1999 Constitution. Rafiu, on behalf of NULGE, urged the state government to take over the payment of Junior Secondary Teachers in the state, adding that JSS teachers' salaries are constitutional responsibility of the state government.

He commended the government for securing N4 billion loan to pay arrears of salaries of local government workers, SUBEB staff, pensioners and ex-councilors in the state.

He said: "NULGE wishes to plead with the governor to look inward for means to settle the remaining backlogs of salaries to Local Government workers because we still have some local governments with five, seven and eight months arrears of salaries."

Rafiu also commended the governor for the release of 2017 promotion letters to local government workers.

He said: "The union wishes to plead for the implementation of financial benefit for the 2016 and 2017 promotion.

"This implementation of financial benefit, we believe will also serve as succor to our members and encourage them to be more diligent with their jobs."