Osun Local Government Crisis: Career Officers and NULGE Condemn Federal Government Over Fund Release

Reported by: Ijeoma G. | Edited by: Henry Owen

The ongoing crisis surrounding Osun State Local Government Councils has deepened as both career officers and the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) condemned the Federal Government for releasing six months of withheld local government allocations into accounts controlled by politicians previously removed from office.

Career officers have accused the Honorable Minister of Finance, the Accountant-General of the Federation, and the Attorney-General of the Federation of circumventing judicial authority by channeling funds to court-sacked APC chairmen and councillors rather than the official local government accounts managed by statutory career officers. They emphasized that this move directly contradicts rulings by the Federal High Court and Court of Appeal, which had effectively removed the APC officials from office, and expressed concern over the precedent it sets for governance and public trust.

Similarly, NULGE President Nathaniel Ogungbangbe and other union leaders described the action as an abuse of power and unprecedented in Nigeria’s public administration history. Speaking in Osogbo, Ogungbangbe stressed that directing local government allocations into private and unauthorized bank accounts controlled by politicians is bizarre and unacceptable. He reiterated the union’s commitment to the rule of law, noting that career employees cannot operate effectively under politicians imposed contrary to court judgments.

Both career officers and NULGE called on the Federal Government to respect judicial authority and allow elected and sworn-in local government officials to manage statutory funds. They warned that ignoring court rulings risks creating administrative anarchy and undermining the integrity of governance in Osun State.

The situation highlights broader concerns about adherence to the rule of law in Nigeria, underscoring the importance of transparency and accountability in the management of public resources.

📩 Stone Reporters News
🌍 stonereportersnews.com | ✉️ info@stonereportersnews.com
📘 Facebook: Stone Reporters | 🐦 X (Twitter): @StoneReportNews