The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), has decried what it described as “the diversion and the deliberate withholding” of statutory allocations due to the democratically elected Local Government Councils in Osun State.
It noted that the withholding of the LGA funds is being orchestrated by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation in collusion with the Minister of Finance and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
These were contained in a communiques issued at the end of the Central Working Committee (CWC) of the NLC which held on Friday, July 4, 2025 and jointly signed by comrade Joe Ajaero and comrade Emmanuel Ugboaja, President and General Secretary of the Congress respectively.
The communique noted that the act by the federal government constituted a blatant violation of the Constitution, the Fiscal Responsibility Act, and the judgment of the Court of Appeal affirming the legitimacy of the current Local Government leadership in Osun State.
The Congress pointedly condemned in strongest terms what it described as the “partisan interference”, which undermines grassroots governance, deprives workers of their wages, and sabotages essential services such as primary healthcare, education, and infrastructure.
The NLC therefore demanded the immediate and unconditional release of all withheld Local Government allocations to the lawfully recognized administrations in Osun State.
While reaffirming its position in support of genuine local government autonomy as a cornerstone for grassroots development, accountability, and democratic participation, the NLC called on all stakeholders engaged in the constitutional review process to enshrine provisions that safeguard the financial and administrative independence of local governments.
The NLC said; “The Attorney-General must retract all unlawful directives to federal financial institutions and cease further politicization of Local Government autonomy”.
The Congress warned that failure to comply within a reasonable timeframe will compel decisive actions to protect workers’ rights and uphold the rule of law.
