Osun LG workers resume after 11-month sit-at-home

By Deborah Oladejo, Osogbo –

Local government staff on Monday resumed duty across Osun State after nearly a year-long withdrawal of services, with security presence ensuring a peaceful reopening of council secretariats.

At the Osogbo Local Government Secretariat, the Vice Chairman, Hon. Latona Ayooade Rasak, confirmed that the resumption was orderly, noting that security personnel screened entrants to prevent any disturbance.

Rasak said the prolonged absence of workers had stalled service delivery and urged returning staff to fast-track pending duties for the benefit of residents.

The Osun State President of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Comrade Nathaniel Ogungbangbe, also confirmed the resumption, saying workers fully complied with the directive to return to work.

He explained that NULGE had earlier written to security agencies requesting that workers be allowed to resume without politicians at the secretariats, to avoid a repeat of past crises.

Ogungbangbe, however, expressed concern that the police were allowing politicians into the local government secretariats, contrary to earlier warnings.

He said the All Progressives Congress (APC) had filed a case at the Federal High Court seeking tenure extension, which had not been granted, and warned against actions that could trigger unnecessary crisis, while appealing to workers to remain calm.

At Olorunda Local Government, the Chairman, Kunle Kudaisi AbdulMojeed, said the environment was calm, with workers carrying out their duties peacefully under security presence, and called for cooperation to accelerate grassroots development.