Workers and members of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Ondo State branch led by the state President, Comrade Bola Taiwo have protested over mounted pressure on the Ondo lawmakers to vote against the Local Government Autonomy in the new constitution being reviewed by the National Assembly.
The protesting workers, who shutdown the state House of Assembly complex on Tuesday in Akure, however, vowed that “No autonomy, no election in Ondo state in the forthcoming general election.
The National Vice President, NULGE, Abimbola Babalola, said system of the local government must be autonomous and urged the lawmakers in the state to do the needful by passing the autonomy bill into law.
Only two out of 26 lawmakers showed at the Assembly complex as others stayed away and the plenary sitting slated for 1:00pm is yet to commence as at the time of filing this report.
The workers led by their State President, Comrade Bola Taiwo said they would not allow the Assembly members to have access to the complex unless they guarantee them the passage of the local government autonomy.
The NULGE officials also threatened to paralyze the social, economy and political activities in
the state if the Assembly members refuse to pass the local government autonomy bill pending before them into law.
There was an alleged pressure on the House of Assembly from the Executive Arm of government to vote against the local government autonomy in the new constitution being reworked by the National Assembly.
A reliable source within the Assembly where the issue of constitutional amendment was discussed said majority of the lawmakers were on shouting match over whether or not the issue of local government autonomy should be jettisoned or not.
The workers NULGE officials who came to the Assembly complex with different placards said they would use their voting power to reject any lawmaker or party that deny them the autonomy in the constitution being reworked by the National Assembly.
Some of the inscriptions on the placards read “Yes to LG autonomy” “Yes to judicial autonomy” “No autonomy, No vote” and “On autonomy we stand” among others.
Comrade Bola and the National Vice President of NULGE, Comrade Abimbola Babalola said 16 states in the country had so far signed the LG autonomy bill into law and Ondo State should be one of the remaining states that would assent to the bill as passed by the National Assembly.
They said Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu has no reason to put pressure on the lawmakers to reject the Local Government autonomy as they voted for him for second term because he guaranteed them the autonomy they requested during the election.
Addressing the protesting workers, the Two lawmakers who came to the Assembly during the protest, Feyide Oluyede representing Ose and Leonard Akintomide (Ondo West) who is the Deputy Minority leader said there was no iota of truth in the allegation that the Assembly was under pressure to reject the local government autonomy.
The lawmakers promised to deliver the protest letter of the to the Speaker of the State Assembly, Mr David Oleyeloogun, who they said was not around to personally receive it.
Meanwhile, the Assembly has called off its sitting to pass the 2023 Appropriation Bill into law sequel to the protest of the local government workers.
