Financial Autonomy: JAC recommends restructuring of LG Service Commission, Staff Pension Board, SUBEB

Ahead of the planned implementation of financial autonomy granted the 774 local government councils in Nigeria by the Supreme Court, the Joint Action Committee, JAC, of Local government based unions , comprising Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees, NULGE, Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT and Nigerian Union of Pensioners, NUP, has called for restructuring of supervisory institutions controlling Local Government workers.

JAC in a statement, mentioned the supervisory institutions as Local Government Service Commission, Local Government Staff Pension Board and State Universal Basic Education Board, SUBEB.

According to JAC, these agencies are to be restructured by way of expanding their statutory members to include chairmen of local government; heads of local government-based unions and other relevant stakeholders, for quality control and inclusivity.

For Local Government Service Commission, JAC proposed for statutory membership to include: representative of Association of Local Government of Nigeria, ALGON, and representative of NULGE, while for State Universal Basic Education Board, SUBEB, statutory membership should include: Representative of ALGON and representative of NUT. 

Similarly, Local Government Staff Pension Board statutory membership should include representatives of ALGON, NUP, NULGE and NUT, while Primary Health Care Agency statutory membership should have representatives of ALGON and health practitioner from the local government.

The union, also proposed a staff redistribution, placement and auditing exercise, to ascertain the actual numbers of local government workers, primary school teachers and pensioners in all the 774 local government areas nationwide.

They recommended an embargo on recruitment of new staff into local government, including teachers for one year from the date of the Supreme Court Judgment, on direct payment to ensure stability and consideration.

These are parts of the recommendations JAC aimed at effective operations of local government during the direct remittance of federal allocation, following the recent Supreme Court granting of financial autonomy to the local governments.

The President of NUT, Titus Amba, President-General of NULGE, Ambali Akeem, and President of NUP, Godwin Abumisi, in a seven-point recommendations, noted that “For a hitch free take off of the direct payment system JAC recommends that there should be staff redistribution, placement and auditing exercise to ascertain the actual numbers of Local Government workers, primary schools teachers and pensioners.

The President of NUT, Titus Amba, President-General of NULGE, Ambali Akeem, and President of NUP, Godwin Abumisi, in seven-point recommendations, noted that “For a hitch free take off of the direct payment system JAC recommends that there should be staff redistribution, placement and auditing exercise to ascertain the actual numbers of Local Government workers, primary schools teachers and pensioners.

“Recruitment of new staff into Local Government and teaching should be suspended for the period of one year from the date of the Supreme Court Judgment on direct payment to ensure stability and consideration. This will enable Local Government to focus on developmental projects and real service delivery”.

According to the recommendations, “Due to the huge deficit in infrastructural development and lack of capacity for service delivery in many local governments nationwide, JAC recommends that Federal Government should intervene in the procurement of machines and equipment such as tractors, graders, bulldozers, refuse disposal vans (tipper lorries), septic evacuation van, public address system van and supply of materials and equipment for the vocational skill acquisition centers. Funds for the procurement of these materials should be deducted from Local Government allocation overtime on installment basis.

“The peace and security committee of the local government should be reorganized for the purpose of indexing, registration, kitting and intelligence gathering, policing and regular bi-monthly meetings coordinated and funded by the local government.

“For the purpose of workers welfare and industrial harmony, training and capacity building and sustainability of industrial stability in the Local Government system, the following payments should be made the first line of charge and domiciled at the relevant agencies.

“Gross salary of local government workers should be domiciled with the Local Government Service Commission. Two percent of total LG allocation for Local Government Service Commission running grants and Local Government Training should be domiciled with the Local Government Service Commission.

“Gross salary of primary school teachers should be domiciled with SUBES. 1.5 percent of total LGA allocation for SUBEB running grants should be domiciled with SUBEB.

“25 percent of gross salary of teachers and local government workers should be deducted from LG allocation for the payment of pension and gratuity and should be domiciled with local government staff Pension Board. Five percent grant for traditional council should be deducted and remitted into traditional council accounts.”

Also, JAC proposed the “strengthening of the Federal Ministry of Special Duties and Inter- Governmental Affairs as Supervisory Ministry. This is for the purpose of policy formulation, coordination, implementation and supervision. To also coordinate reforms in the local Government through quarterly summit to review government economic policy on Local Government Scheme of Service in every five years to enhance productivity and policy assurance at the local government level.”

Source: Vanguard Newspaper Online, Tuesday October 8

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