Osun LG workers accuse NULGE of betrayal, vow to resume work Monday

Some local government workers in Osun State, under the aegis of Concerned Local Government Workers of Osun State, have accused the state chapter of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), led by Comrade Nathaniel Ogungbangbe, of betraying members by allegedly siding with government. They vowed to return to work in their various council offices on Monday.

The state NULGE leadership had in February 2025 directed its members to stay away from work, citing insecurity, following the lingering tussle for control of local governments between the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Speaking to journalists at the NUJ Correspondents’ Chapel in Osogbo on Thursday, the State Coordinator of the concerned workers, Comrade Adedayo Adekunle, described the prolonged strike as “uncivilised and unjustifiable.”

Adekunle said the excuse of insecurity was no longer tenable, insisting that workers were “landlords” of the local government secretariats and should not vacate their duty posts.

“It is almost seven months since we last addressed a press briefing on this needless strike called by Ogungbangbe’s NULGE. Today, we are happy that local government autonomy is finally in operation in Osun State. We have laboured for decades, and many have paid the ultimate price while others have made financial sacrifices,” he said.

He argued that legal or political disputes should not stop civil servants from performing their duties. “When elections are in dispute at tribunals, civil servants do not abandon work. So why should a union leader unilaterally call a strike lasting more than seven months?”

Adekunle accused the NULGE leadership of insensitivity and selfishness, alleging that union dues and deductions had been diverted by political actors to secure the loyalty of the leadership.

“This misnomer in Osun’s history of NULGE is tantamount to wickedness and cowardice. For how long can this strike continue? People are fed up. Our members are retiring embarrassingly, many are on sick beds, and our deductions have been hijacked. Enough is enough,” he said.

The group vowed to resume work on Monday and warned that any attempt to attack their members would be met with resistance. “We call on all security agencies to be alert. Any violence against our members will attract reprisals with serious consequences. We have exhausted our patience,” Adekunle warned.

He also disclosed that the case challenging NULGE’s March 4th election will come up at the National Industrial Court on October 22, expressing optimism that justice would be served.

NULGE reacts

In response, the state leadership of NULGE dismissed the allegations, accusing the concerned workers of being sponsored by political actors to destabilise the union.

Through its State Publicity Secretary, Comrade David Owoeye, NULGE said there was no directive for members to resume work, insisting that its position on the strike remained unchanged.