The Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) has threatened to embark on a nationwide strike over the failure to implement the Supreme Court’s landmark judgement granting financial autonomy to local government councils across the country.
It has been exactly one year since the Supreme Court delivered its ruling affirming full financial independence for Nigeria’s 774 local government areas, yet the judgement remains largely unenforced. NULGE has described the delay as a calculated attempt to stifle grassroots development and undermine the welfare of local government workers.
The National President of NULGE, Comrade Aliyu Haruna Kankara, in an interview with journalists, accused state governors of deliberately frustrating the ruling through political manipulation. He warned that if the federal government continues to turn a blind eye, the union would have no choice but to take drastic action.
“This delay is not due to legal obstacles. It is purely political resistance from governors who are determined to maintain control over local government funds. The Supreme Court was clear — LG funds must be paid directly into their accounts, not siphoned through state-controlled joint accounts,” Kankara said.
The Supreme Court had ruled in 2024, in a suit filed by the Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), that state governors had no right to arbitrarily dissolve elected local government councils or withhold their funds. The ruling was widely hailed as a significant step toward strengthening grassroots governance and promoting transparency.
However, NULGE says state governments have blatantly ignored the court’s directive. “Our councils remain underfunded and our workers are suffering. This is a direct affront to democracy and development,” Kankara lamented.
He also accused the federal government of lacking the political will to enforce the ruling, calling on President Bola Tinubu to intervene and ensure compliance. Kankara reminded the president of his own history of defending local government autonomy during his tenure as governor of Lagos State.
“My message to President Tinubu is this: don’t allow political interests to derail your legacy. You once fought for LG autonomy — now is the time to protect it nationwide. Failure to act will amount to betraying the common people,” he said.
NULGE has vowed to ramp up its advocacy, working closely with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), civil society organisations, and international partners to pressure the government into action.
Kankara also confirmed that a strike is under serious consideration. “Strike is one of the options on the table. The NLC is fully behind us, and we are prepared to meet at all organ levels to determine our next steps,” he said.
He warned that the union will not rest until the Supreme Court judgement is fully implemented and local governments across Nigeria are allowed to function independently and effectively.
