Fayose Pardons LG Staff, Supports Council Autonomy
Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose , has thrown his weight behind total autonomy for local government council across the country.
He also pardoned a local government staff and Deputy President of the Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees in Ekiti State, Com. Com. O.B. Olatunde, who was dismissed from service for alleged
rudeness to the governor over salary crisis .
Fayose said the state would commute to suspension , the outright dismissal slammed on the victim by a committee set up by the Head of Service, Dr. Olugbenga Faseluka to try the local government staff for
allegedly casting aspersion on the person of the governor during a meeting held to resolve some salary issues.
The affected LG staff was alleged to have rudely addressed the governor when a directive was given on how certain money should be disbursed being recommendation of the State Joint Allocation Committee
The governor, who called on his colleague governors to support independence of the third tier of government, to bring development to the grassroots spoke in Ado Ekiti yesterday after meeting with the NULGE’s reconciliatory delegation led by its National President , Com Ibrahim Khaleel in Ado Ekiti to appeal to the governor to rescind his
pronouncement on the erring staff.
Briefing the delegation, he said : “There should be a government the people at the grassroots can refer to as their own.
When you cede the LGs to the people, then nobody can blame a governor for the inefficiency at that level.
“I want to appeal to my colleagues to embrace total autonomy to all the 774 LGs in this country”.
On the punishment meted out to the Deputy President, Fayose said: “I have decided to shift ground on this matter, even after the recommendation of the committee because of the swift way Com. Khaleel
handles this matter. Unionism is not always about confrontation, but about respect and reconciliation.
“I want to commend the NULGE delegation for this show of solidarity and I want to tell you that rather than dismissal, the government will look for alternative punishment just to serve as punishment”.
Khaleel , who described Fayose as the Voice of the voiceless, said : “I decided to honour Governor Fayose because I saw him as part of this fold. He is a comrade governor because he represents the voice of the
voiceless in Nigeria.
“In the recent time, Governor Fayose has been speaking for the commoners. He has been fighting their courses and he deserves our respect. I want to thank the governor for this mutual respect and I
want to assure you that your relationship with the LG staff will remain intact”.
