Posted by By Udede Jim on
Agreeing with the importance of role-playing by all the stakeholders in the third-tier administration, members of the Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Rivers State, have stressed the importance of financial discipline by council chairmen.
Agreeing with the importance of role-playing by all the stakeholders in the third-tier administration, members of the Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Rivers State, have stressed the importance of financial discipline by council chairmen.
In what was an X-ray of the period of service by the State Executive Council of NULGE, Comrade Godwin Tumini Diri, the State President of the body said one of the major constraints of smooth running of business in the past four years has been the recklessness and indiscretion of most administrators of councils, stressing that when the little funds of council are unduly used, they create problems for the workers, most of whom are members of NULGE.
Diri, who was speaking at the 6th Quadrennial Delegates' Conference of the union in Port Harcourt last Thursday, therefore appealed to the State Governor, Dr. Peter Odili to call some errant chairmen to order, noting how some of them have taken hardly serviceable loans from banks and other financial institutions.
The chairman of the session, Prof Emenike Wami, former chairman of Port Harcourt City Local Government Area (PHALGA), had earlier expressed his appreciation to NULGE's efforts in the past four years under Diri but pointed out the need for more earnest and sincere contributions to the growth of the Local Government System by the council workers.
The University don challenged NULGE to run with the demands of contemporary times whereby its members will be updated with academic requirements of their jobs, adding that information is power.
Governor Peter Odili, the special guest of honour at the conference, who spoke through the State Commissioner for Information, Hon. Magnus Abe, enjoined council workers to make living contributions to the progress of councils by showing commitment and dedication to duty, remarking that "we all owe it to God to do our little things well" and assured that the present administration would never withhold what duly belongs to workers.
The first session of the conference ended with goodwill messages from the Rivers State Chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Dr. Sam Accra Jaja; the Chairman of Obio/Akpor and Dep. National President of ALGON, Chief (Barr.) Nyesom Wike and the National Chairman of NULGE Caretaker Committee, Alhaji Ibrahim Kahleen who advised all delegates to continue in their peaceful and purposeful manner of unionism that they have been practising since the present dispensation.
Other dignitaries at the event include the Chairmen of PHALGA and ASALGA, Chief (Hon) Azubuike Nmerukini, Hon Aroloye Browm respectively; Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Moses Aduma and the Commissioner for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Community Matters, Deacon Clapton Ogolo.
During the business session, Comrade Diri and the bulk of members of the State Executive Council were returned for a second term by about 119 delegates, drawn from all the 23 LGAs of the state.