By Peter Uzoma
The planned appointment of indigenous Director of Administration and General Services, DAGs, Treasurers, and Internal Auditors for the 27 LGAs in Imo State by the present administration is receiving knocks from the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees, NULGE.
Trumpeta had reported about the planned action which the Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha made public last month at a meeting with Senior Staff CGL 10 and above of the Unified Local Government Service of the State held at Ahiajoku Centre, Owerri.
In a letter of protest to the Governor made available to Trumpeta by NULGE, the LGA Workers’ Union kicked against the action adding that it is in contrast to the local government service in Nigeria which operates a unified system across the Federation guided by “Approved Scheme of Service for Local Government Employees in Nigeria” the financial memoranda and the more widely applied Public Service rules, where “matters of appointments and career progression within the service are clearly spelt out in the scheme or service”.
The statement signed by Chief A.I. Onuoha and Sir Ungoro Oweikonu John, State NULGE Chairman and Secretary respectively, it stated that;
“The Local Government Service in Nigeria is a Unified System across the Federation guided by “Approved Scheme of service for Local Government Employees in Nigeria”, the Financial Memoranda and the more widely applied Public service Rules. Matters of appointments and career progression within the service are clearly spelt out in the Scheme of service.
“For instance, method of entry into the position of DAGS at page 63 of the Scheme of Service states that “The post is open to all officers in the department (of administration) and shall be appointed by the Local Government Service Commission from amongst competent serving officers who are not below GL 15”. Ditto for the post of Director of Finance/Treasurer and other directors.
“The post of “Director” is not even the highest position in the Local Government service. Page one of the approved Scheme of Service provides for the post of Head of Local Government Administration (GL17) which shall be filled by appointment by the Local Government Service Commission. Method of entry into the post states that, “the post is open to all staff of the Local Government on GL 16. Appointment of HLGA should strictly be based on merit, seniority, competence and experience”.
This Grade Level 17 position is still vacant in the Unified Local Government Service of Imo State.
“It has been a long standing policy initiated since the Eastern Nigeria Regional Government that Senior Local Government officers should not serve in their home Local Government for obvious reasons, primary of which is political. This is to insulate such officers from the politics of their locality and to encourage objectivity in administrative decisions.
According to the NULGE “The Union is Constrained to make these observations known to Your Excellency because to go ahead with this policy will not only breed avarice, frustration and unhealthy rivalry among the staff, it will further generate bad blood in the system as well as strangulate the Local Government Councils that are already on the brink of collapse in the State”
