NULGE Chairmanship Aspirant, Comrade Ezekiel Isa Calls For Synergy To Improve Workers And Pensioners’ Welfare

Yakubu Busari

The Plateau State Chapter of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Chairmanship Aspirant, Comrade Ezekiel Isa Yelwa has disclosed that if given the mandate to win the forthcoming congress election of the union,  he would work hand in hand with the government of the day to improve the welfare of workers & Pensioners as part of his blueprint.

Ezekiel made this known during an exclusive interview with media at Ropp Guarden opposition Cocin headquarters, Fidelis Tapgun way.

He told Journalists that he hailed from Jos East Local Government Council of Plateau State but worked with the Account department in Qua’an-Pan LGA as a former NULGE official.

Isa Yelwa stated that, yes, NULGE as a union, our welfare is very poor compared to their state counterpart

He reiterated that what encouraged him to throw himself into the ring was the very dear staff welfare and he explained that is paramount to aspiration.

Isa maintained that to the LGA system, the present administration strives yet the workers are still walloping in pain for lack of a better welfare package.

According to him, when you go down to Local Government, you would find out that the staff of the councils are the least pay workers in Nigeria with disparity of salary considering their counterparts in the state where allowances and training differ.

He harped more on the welfare of the NULGE workers in Plateau State,” we need to build synergy with the appropriate authority to intervene in the aspect of  union, directors, to push for better condition of service.

Isa Yelwa noted that the NULGE is the mother union to balance the equation between workers and Government , if elected he wants to bring the system to drive revenue generation and the well-being of the members.

” That is why I referred you back to synergy, when there is synergy we will all achieve what we want, when there is no synergy there will rancour, with division in the system we cannot even achieve and make progress in our activities.

“Look at the issues of autonomy of the local government, we will key into that development and revenue that we ask for that can be achieved at the end of the day with better leadership and cooperation of all a sundry.

“Isa pointed out that, as an accountant, the revenue that is accruing to the LGAs in the state is well placed. Pleading with the state government that they’ve tried and few days before yesterday workers received an alert of two months if you can divide by 36,000.00 across the 6 months,#6,000.00 every month and that is the constraint of the financial muzzle of the LG,”.

He promised to build synergy and cordial working relationship with the incumbent Governor towards addressing poor income and tax administration

The union was founded in 1978 when the Government of Nigeria merged the following unions:[1]

Amalgamated Union of County and District Council Labourers of Nigeria

L. C. C. Mechanical, Clerical and Allied Workers’ Union

Municipal and Local Authorities Workers’ Union of Nigeria

Mushin Town Council Workers’ Union

Nigeria Motor Drivers’ Union

Nigerian Union of Local Authority Staff

Rivers State Municipal and Local Council Workers’ Union

Sanitary Workers’ Union of Nigeria

Town Planning Authorities Staff Union of Western State of Nigeria

Western State Conservancy Workers’ Union

Western State Wastes Disposal Employees’ Unions.

The union is affiliated to the Nigeria Labour Congress. It had 245,000 members by 1995.

We are just like Oliver Twist, we are asking for more, we can’t say they’re not trying but I want the government to understand that payment of salary is not an achievement is mandatory that the governor should take responsibility for the paying of workers’ salary.

He described the workers of Plateau State as a very wonderful set of people, especially the local government staff. When they receive their salary every parts will feel the impact because the money spread to different hands

Adding that when salary is not paid the state would be held to ransom because of the present economic hardship that we are facing, they should do more. We need good working conditions with the government so that we will be able to achieve and progress.

He wished the workers a happy celebration of the Day because this is like our Christmas celebration we all have the privilege to see today many of our colleagues are dead and we are mourning them.

Isa appealed to the government to constantly settle the Pensioner’s monthly allowance because all of us will one day retire consider Pensioners this is the regime of the time now slogan.