By Patience Ogbodo

BAUCHI — THE Bauchi State chapter of NULGE who embarked on industrial action last week for reinstatement of treasurers of the 20 local government councils in the state has directed its members to immediately return to work.

The directive was given Sunday by the Acting Chairman of Bauchi NULGE, Mr Mudi Nassarawa, after a meeting with the state government delegation led by the Head of Service, Abdulkadir Ibrahim, who read the agreement entered into with the union.

According to him, the state government has agreed to review the posting of its staff to the local government councils as treasurers, explaining that it was done as a temporary measure to update some financial records at the council level. He said this was necessitated by some recent discoveries.

The Head of Service said part of the agreement was that the Local Government Service Commission would immediately set the machinery in motion to recruit qualified people as treasurers for all the councils, declaring however that it must be done in accordance with the constitutional provision of quota system and balanced representation.

He explained that top officials of the councils must not come from the same area so that every area would be represented at the top management level of the councils, saying this will promote harmonious relationship and enhance industrial harmony in the councils.

The NULGE boss then commended his members for adhering to the strike when it was called by the union, saying this has further confirmed that the union is one.

He urged them to remain law-abiding citizens and obey all rules and regulations governing their employment while the union would continue to protect their interests.

Members of the NULGE commenced strike last Thursday after the union called on the state government to recall its treasury staff posted to the councils as treasurers, saying  it was against the local government service rules as all the councils have qualified staff to be so appointed.