By Ugochukwu Alaribe

The Abia state chapter of the National Union of Local Government Employees, NULGE, has been embroiled in crisis over the alleged non recognition of the elected officials of the union in the state and setting up of a caretaker committee, by the state government.

The national leadership of NULGE had on May 22, 2023, conducted an election for the Abia chapter of the union which produced Comrade Ikechi Nwaigwe as state president of the union and 10 others as executive members.

The elected officials were sworn in on September 27, 2023, by the national leadership.

However, sources told Vanguard that the state government rejected the election which produced Nwaigwe as the state president of NULGE, stressing that it did not follow due process’.

One of the elected officials who spoke to Vanguard on the condition of anonymity, said that the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Prince Uzo Nwachukwu, had on 28th September, convened a meeting of Abia state local government stakeholders in Umuahia, where he stated that the state government would not recognize the election and will not condone any action that will be inimical to industrial harmony in the local government system.

The Commissioner disclosed that a caretaker committee will be set up for the conduct of a fresh election to elect NULGE executives.

He said; “On 28th September, 2023, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Prince Uzo Nwachukwu, summoned all Heads of Services of the 17LGAs, All NULGE state administrative council and all NULGE LGA executives to a meeting at the ministry conference room. The Commissioner said that the election that produced the NULGE executives did not follow due process. That a caretaker committee will be set up to conduct a new election. After the meeting, we were made to sign our names on a blank sheet. The Heads of service and some NULGE stakeholders signed, I and a few others declined because we know it will be used against the elected officials of the state NULGE. The next day, they announced a caretaker committee to oversee NULGE.”

Following the local government stakeholders’ meeting, the state government had on September 29, announced a 7 man caretaker committee to oversee the affairs of NULGE in the state and conduct another election within a few months.

Inaugurating the caretaker committee in Umuahia, a former state president of the union, Comrade Ijeoma Onyenucheya, tasked the caretaker committee to conduct a free and fair election and urged local government workers in the State to elect good people to lead them.

Vanguard gathered that the newly elected State President of NULGE, Comrade Ikechi Nwaigwe has been posted to the state Ministry of Science and Technology, while the State secretary of the union, Comrade Abayomi Afolabi, has been suspended for allegedly working against the interests of the union.

Reacting to the caretaker committee, National President of NULGE, Comrade Ambali Akeem Olatunji, accused Governor Alex Otti of interfering in the affairs of the union and imposing an illegal caretaker on the union.

Contacted on the situation, Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Prince Uzo Nwachukwu, directed Vanguard to the chairman of the NULGE caretaker committee, Engr. Obinna Nwogwugwu, and assured that he is in the best position to speak on the matter.

When contacted for his reaction on the matter, Engr. Nwogwugwu insisted that he doesn’t speak to people not known to him.

Vanguard further gathered that the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, had petitioned Governor Alex Otti, on the matter and urged him to intervene to reinstate the elected NULGE officials and avert labour crisis in the state.