Planned Protest: Sheath Your Sword, ALGON Urges NULGE, CLO
In view of the festering political crisis in Rivers state, the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, ALGON , has urged the National Union of Local Government Employees, NULGE, over its planned protest against the police barricade of the 23 local government council Secretariats in Rivers State.
Paul, according to the statement alleged that said the action of the police has prevented its members from going to work from where they provide for their families and the attendant man hour losses.
Also, the State chairmen of the Nigerian Labour Congress, Alex Agwanwor and his Trade Union Congress counterparty, Ikechukwu Onyefuru, in a joint statement had condemned the action of the police and backed the NULGE ultimatum to the IGP for his men to vacate the council headquarters or face similar protest.
Responding to this development, Hon. Allwell Ihunda, the embattled Rivers State ALGON Chairman loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, accused NULGE of taking sides in the political crisis in the state.
Ihunda, stated this at a media briefing in Port Harcourt on Sunday, alleging that Governor Siminalayi Fubara appointed NULGE members who are council workers into caretaker committees for the 23 LGAs, saying it is wrong except they resign from their duties.
Ihunda alleged that it was the reason that “NULGE is collaborating with the NLC and the TUC to stage the protest against the police on Monday”, pointing out that the Governor had gone ahead to appoint the members of the CTC when the Court asked all parties in the matter to maintain status quo.
“We are aware that in spite of the matter in the Court of Appeal, on the 19th of June, the Rivers State Governor went ahead to appoint caretaker committee members for the 23 local government areas of the State in spite of the fact that the Appeal Court has stated clearly that all parties should maintain status quo on all the suits before the Court.
“Now from the list of caretaker committee members we observe that across the 23 LGA appointments were made from NULGE members as part of the caretaker committees whereas these NULGE members are staff of the council. They were not supposed to be.
“That is the reason why we observe recently that NULGE has collaborated with the NLC and TUC to carry out a protest tomorrow 24th of June against the police men that the Inspector General of Police has ordered to stay in the councils to maintain law and order to forestall further deaths that was experienced in Omuma LGA.”
