Local government workers in Osun State, on Monday, rejected the 72-hour ultimatum issued to them to resume work amid the raging supremacy tussle between the ruling Peoples Democratic Party and the opposition All Progressives Congress. Punch reports.
LG chairmen elected in 2022 on the APC platform, again, returned to council secretariats, accompanied by security agents.
Newly LG chairmen elected on Saturday on the PDP platform stayed away from the secretariat, as advised on Sunday by Governor Ademola Adeleke.
The PDP and the APC are currently embroiled in a tussle over the control of the LGs.
The APC relies on a recent Court of Appeal judgment, which reportedly nullified a high court judgment that removed the LG chairmen elected in 2022, shortly after their election.
While the APC clung to the appeal court verdict, the Adeleke-led PDP government went ahead to conduct a fresh LG poll on Saturday, which PDP candidates won, as the APC did not participate.
The political tussle over the LG has been bloody, with at least six lives lost.
The Nigeria Labour Congress and the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees have since ordered workers to stay away from the LG secretariats for fear of being caught in violent crossfire.
However, on returning to the secretariats on Monday, the APC LG chairmen gave the workers a 72-hour ultimatum to return to work, stating that calm had returned.
But the NLC leadership, in an interview with The PUNCH on Monday, rejected the ultimatum, saying workers would not resume.
Our correspondent, who checked Ifelodun LG headquarters in Ikirun, Olorunda LG in Igbona and Osogbo LG secretariat in Oke Baale, observed that the APC council officials had returned to the premises.
The entrance to the Osogbo LG secretariat was later shut.
Also, heavy security presence was also observed on major roads across the state with roadblocks mounted at the entrance to the secretariats by armed police operatives and those of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.
Police presence was observed along Osogbo/Kwara Boundary Road, Osogbo/Ilesa Road, Gbongan/Osogbo Road, as well as, Osogbo Ibokun Road.
But business activities progress unhindered across the state capital.
Reviewing the situation during an interview with The PUNCH, an APC chieftain, Jamiu Olawumi, who served as the Special Adviser on Education to ex-governor Adegboyega Oyetola, said the chairmen and councilors had resumed in all the 30 LGs.
Olawumi also said the chairmen had directed local government staff members to return to their duty posts before Wednesday.
“All chairmen and councillors have resumed in all local governments and area councils in Osun State, including Irewole LG. The local governments and local council development areas are agog and full of life.
“The security is very tight; we have responsible police officers, DSS and Civil Defence. They are doing their jobs as directed by the Inspector General of Police.
“Most of the chairmen have issued press releases this morning that their workers should resume by Wednesday. After Wednesday, if they don’t resume, they will have their job determined. It is 72 hours ultimately,” he said.
But reacting to this, the Chairmen of the NLC, Osun State Chapter, Christopher Arapasopo, in a statement sent to our correspondent, said workers in the state would not intimidated by anyone.
Arapasopo said, “We directed our members to withdraw their services last week Monday, 27th February 2025 due to the political uproar bringing agitations and fear among our members working within the local government across Osun State.
“We cannot allow workers to be working in an atmosphere of insecurity. If not because we moved into action by directing our members at the local government to withdraw their services last week, when some unscrupulous elements forcefully broke into the Secretariat, which that action led to the crisis, what happened at the local government would have been more disastrous.
“As organised labour movement in the Osun State, we cannot watch our members be victims of any crisis at all. Their safety at work is highly important. A directive was also given today to affirm our earlier release, notifying all the local government workers that the earlier directive given to withdraw their services as a result of political upheaval within their workplaces still subsist, while they continue to pray for the State from their various homes, because their safety is our priority.
“The sacked chairmen lack the power to intimidate, threaten and instruct our members to resume work. We will not be intimidated by any desperate attempts to silence us. We urge all political parties and their members to abide by the rule of law. We insist on the rule of law to avoid a descent to anarchy.”
The NLC chairman called on President Bola Tinubu to look into the happenings in Osun and get the crisis resolved.
“We are calling on the father of Nigeria, that is President Bola Tinubu, to look into the happenings in Osun State as a father. We also call on all security agencies to ensure the safety of all lives and properties within Osun State Local Government and the masses.
“Osun State NLC, TUC and JNC remain resolute in our commitment to defending the rights and interest of Workers, Pensioners and the entire populace.”
