By VICTOR ADEOTI

The Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) in Osun says it has not issued any directive to local government staff in the state to resume work.

The chairman of NULGE in the state, Dr. Nathaniel Ogungbangbe, said this while addressing a news conference on Friday in Osogbo.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that local government areas in the state had been in crisis following the February 10 judgment by the Court of Appeal, Akure.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) claimed that the judgment did not reinstate the sacked All Progressives Congress (APC) chairmen and councillors elected in 2022, while APC insisted on their return to office.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and NULGE, thereafter, directed local government workers to withdraw their services from February 17, citing security concerns.

However, local government staff under the aegis of Association of Concerned Local Government Workers on Thursday called on their colleagues to resume work at their various councils to avoid possible job loss.

The coordinator of the association, Mr Adedayo Adekunle, made the call while addressing a news conference in Osogbo.

Adekunle said that the stay-at-home order by NULGE for local government staff in the state over the last seven months was unnecessary.

Ogungbangbe, however, said that the directive by a factional member of the union that local government workers should resume on Monday should be disregarded.

He also said that factional members of the union, who were calling on workers to resume, had been suspended indefinitely from the union for anti-union activities.

The chairman said that the stand of the leadership of NULGE on the matter was in defense of democracy and the rule of law.

“It is highly consequential to note that the state NULGE Executives have not directed our members to resume work.

“It is also important to note that no screening can be done in the Local Government Service without the supervision of the Osun State Local Government Service Commission.

“Therefore, the leadership of the union is appealing to all our educative and well-informed esteemed members not to hearken to the call for resumption”, he said. (NAN)