The National Union of Local Government Employees has expressed concerns regarding the exclusion of certain local government workers from receiving the newly approved minimum wage of N70,000. This exclusion has been attributed to delays in implementing local government autonomy, causing uncertainty among workers about how to address issues related to minimum wage payments.
While federal and some state employees have already begun benefiting from the wage increase approved by the administration, the situation remains inconsistent for local government workers. Workers in states like Ogun, Rivers, and Kano have started receiving the new minimum wage, but others have not been included.
The National President of NULGE emphasized the importance of equal treatment for all workers, regardless of their employment tier, under the law. The lack of local government autonomy has further complicated matters, as some governors argue that local government workers are outside their jurisdiction.
Efforts are being urged to address the wage implementation disparity and protect the rights of local government employees. In a related development, the Federal Government took legal action to challenge state governors’ control over federal allocations designated for local government areas. This legal battle resulted in a Supreme Court ruling affirming the financial autonomy of the 774 local governments in Nigeria, preventing governors from managing or withholding funds meant for local councils.
In response to the Supreme Court judgment, a 10-member inter-ministerial committee was established by the Federal Government to oversee the full implementation of local government autonomy. The main goal of this committee is to ensure that local governments operate independently without interference from state governments.