Pushes for autonomy, better infrastructure, creation of CNG conversion centres, others
From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja
The Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) has said that the creation of Community Police would significantly contribute to reducing the country’s security challenges.
President of NULGE Mr Ambali Olatunji stated this at the Union’s Maiden National Week Celebration on Tuesday in Abuja.
According to Olatunji, every security issue is Local and so is it’s solution, adding that all breakthroughs in areas of counter terrorism, banditry as well as other security issues were achieved through the involvement of locals.
He said: “The Federal Government should approve that Local Government identify, organise, register and kit experience local guards, hunters, vigilante, volunteers, train and license them to carry arms for Community Policing, this will effectively check criminality and violence in our Communities.
He warned however, that such security outfits must be regulated by the Police Service Commission to prevent abuse like the Judicial Service Commission.
“This will also enable farmers and rural dwellers to carry out their daily activities thereby guaranteeing food security in Nigeria.” He opined.
Olatunji also said there was an urgent need to amend section 162 of the country’s constitution to ensure that the Local Governments operate within a reasonable context of political, administrative and fiscal autonomy for the betterment of Nigeria masses.
“The myriads of problems bedeviling this nation can be situated within the dysfunctional nature of the councils which incidentally is the most strategic, most relevant and closest to the people but, had been crippled by both constitutional lacunas and administrative misapplications of procedures.” He decried.
The union President, who applauded Bola Tinubu for approving the procurement of CNG buses to ease the suffering of Nigerians, recommended the establishment of at least three conversion centres across that nation.
He further noted that the dilapidated nature of infrastructure in the various communities across the country called for concern and required concerted efforts to address it.
“An intervention Unit under the Ministry of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs is urgently needed to bring the dividend of democracy to the grassroots and ensure positive growth and development across the nooks and crannies of the country” he stated.
Additionally, Olatunji advocated the creation of a social register to capture those at the community level, special rural allowance for local government workers as well as expansion of National Joint Negotiating Council membership to include the public service union, who according to the union president, constitute 60 percent of government workers.
The Labour leader noted that the occasion marked the beginning of a new dawn in the Union and demonstrated its collective resolve to assist this new Administration in achieving its “Renewed Hope Agenda” for Unity and Prosperity for all.