Osun LG workers resume duties amid conflicting directives

By Deborah Oladejo, Osogbo –

Local government workers in Osun State on Monday resumed work after more than seven months of a sit-at-home action, despite conflicting directives from the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) and a faction within the association.

The Association of Concerned Local Government Workers had last week directed council staff to resume duty, arguing that there was no security threat preventing resumption. However, the Osun State chapter of NULGE, led by Comrade Dr. Nathaniel Kehinde Ogungbangbe, rejected the call, warning members to ignore what it described as a politically sponsored move to cause confusion.

Despite the disagreement, some workers were seen at their duty posts in Olorunda LCDA, Ota-Efun, Osogbo, Ifelodun, Boripe, Ayedire, Obokun, and Ilesa West local government areas. Officers of the Nigeria Police Force were also sighted maintaining law and order at the councils.

It will be recalled that NULGE had on February 17, 2025, directed its members to stay off work following a violent clash over control of local governments between the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), after an Appeal Court judgment reportedly reinstated APC chairmen.

Since then, the council secretariats had remained under lock and key until recently when the Federal Government reportedly recognised the APC chairmen by releasing six months of previously withheld allocations to accounts operated by the reinstated executives.

Addressing journalists, the Chairman of Olorunda LGA, Hon. Kunle Kudaisi, dispelled claims that the council had been under lock and key, saying, “We have been attending to our assignments in the LG, but today NULGE members formally resumed, as you can see them around.”

He added that some workers could not resume immediately because they had gone to the Osun State Secretariat for their promotion letters.

A worker at Olorunda LGA, identified as Kuburat, expressed joy over the resumption, saying the closure of the councils had denied them access to cooperative deductions and other benefits. Also, the Chairman of Ifelodun LGA, Hassan Kamo, welcomed the workers back, describing civil servants as “landlords of LGA secretariats,” while politicians are “tenants.”