Edo State Govt’ll Continue to Train Local Govt Staff – LG Service Commission

Edo State Govt’ll Continue to Train Local Govt Staff – LG Service Commission

By Lucky Isibor

Staff of the Edo State Unified Local Government Service has been assured of continues training and retraining by the state government to enable them deliver quality service to the people at the grassroots.

The Acting Chairman of the Edo State Local Government Service Commission, Evangelist (Comrade) Francis Akhigbe gave the assurance while responding to an address by Comrade Scott Aigbovia, State President of Edo State chapter of Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), during a courtesy visit by the state EXCO of the union to the Commission on Friday, 11 July, which he said was also to invite members of the Commission to the finals of the NULGE Youth Unity Football Tournament holding on Saturday, 12 July at Idogbo, the administrative headquarters of Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area.

“All seminars, trainings and workshops that are important and relevant to the discharge of the duties and functions of Local Governments will continue to be approved and sponsored by the Local Government Service Commission”, the Acting Chairman of the Commission assured.

While assuring NULGE members that his doors are are always opened to members of the union, Comrade Akhigbe assured that the issue of the salary arrears owed members of the union by some Local Government Councils in the state will be taken up with the management of the affected Councils, adding that the Commission would also found out if the backlog of arrears affect all categories of staff, pointing out that it was immoral not to pay the salaries of staff who have worked deligently for their establishment.

“When I heard of the salary arrears, I called the officials of the affected Local Government Councils and I asked them, how do people work and you’ll not pay them? It is immoral, it is morally wrong. And I urged them to make arrangements on how to start setting aside some money to start offsetting the arrears installmentally. And now that it has been made officially known to the Commission, the Commission will write the Chairmen of the Concils officially to engage them on how to resolve the issue to avoid labour unrest in the Local Government Councils.”

On the issue of assistance to staff of Local Government who are bereaved, the Chairman assured that the Commission will continue to assist bereaved staff members burying their parents in accordance with the laid down extant criteria on such assistance by the Commission.

While assuring the NULGE members that the Commission will liase with other relevant Departments and Agencies of government to resolve all the other issues that may not be directly under the purview of the Commission, the Acting Chairman assured that the issue of the implementation of the new minimum wage of N75,000 as approved by Governor Monday Okpebholo will also be handled in the same fashion.

Commending the calibre of persons on the state Executive Committee of NULGE, Comrade Akhigbe said he is engaging some aggrieved members of the union to resolve the crisis that led to the fractionalisation in some Local Government Area chapters, adding that he has started talking with them to withdraw their law suit. He pointed out that he has urged them to itemise the privileges they lost so that they would be looked into provided they are not financially involving.

Earlier in his address, the Edo State President of NULGE, Comrade Curtis Aigbovia appealed to members of the Commission to grace the finals of the NULGE Youth Unity Football Tournament holding on Saturday, 12 July at Idogbo, the administrative headquarters of Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area.

While congratulating Governor Monday Okpebholo on his Supreme Court victory, Comrade Aigbovia stated that the tournament is dedicated to the victory of Governor Okpebholo at the Supreme Court, noting that Edo is one and called on Edo people to unite behind the Governor to develop the state.

While enumerating the issues of welfare confronting members of the union in the state, Comrade Aigbovia appealed to the Commission to expedite action and reciprocate the unions disposition to dialogue in resolving all labour related issues in the Local Government Councils in the state.

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