NULGE wants Buhari to probe LG joint account

The National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to extend the ongoing probes to the local government administration. The union said that the probe of local government joint accounts became imperative because it has been used to siphon away billions of tax payers’ money by unscrupulous Nigerians. NULGE president, […]

The National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to extend the ongoing probes to the local government administration.
The union said that the probe of local government joint accounts became imperative because it has been used to siphon away billions of tax payers’ money by unscrupulous Nigerians.
NULGE president, Comrade Ibrahim Khaleel made this call while addressing journalists in Abuja at the end of the union’s National Executive Council meeting.
He said that the union had resolved to throw its weight in support of the present administration’s fight against official graft in the country while expressing the readiness of the union to serve as a whistle blower. 
He said that NEC of the union had resolved to mobilize its members across the 774 local councils in Nigeria to Abuja to participate in the forthcoming anti-graft  rally due to be convened by the Nigeria Labour Congress.
Comrade Khaleel said, even though, the ongoing clampdown on official graft at the federal level was commendable, such would have the desired impact if extended to the other tiers of governments, which he claimed ‘also stinks with filth’.
He said, “We hope and pray that President Buhari will also take the fight against corruption to the grassroots level, looking into all the issues surrounding the local government operations, particularly the operation of state and local government joint accounts, which have been bastardised by many state governments.
“The money that has been hijacked completely over the years by state governors should also be of great concern to Mr. President and his government. As a union operating at the grassroots level, we are ready to avail the new administration first hand information that will enable it unearth some of the sharp practices that take place there.”
The NULGE boss also stated that the union had resolved to re-strategize with a view to pursuing the issue of local government autonomy with the new government.
To this end, he disclosed that the union had agreed to have a retreat which would bring all relevant people together to come up with suggestions on the best form of local government administration desirable for the country.
“On the issue of local government autonomy, we have agreed to re -strategize with a view to articulating our position before Mr. President for us to have a functional, more reasonable and result oriented third tier of government.
“On that note the NEC in session resolved that a national retreat should also be organised where intellectuals will be drawn from the academia, civil society organizations, other sister trade unions will be able to discuss dispassionately on the best form of local government administration desirable for the country,” he added.