The Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Osun State chapter, has rejected allegations that it deliberately withheld payment vouchers belonging to local government chairmen and councillors aligned with the All Progressives Congress (APC).
In a statement issued on Monday, the union’s chairman, Nathaniel Ogungbangbe, described the claims as misleading, unfounded, and a distortion of facts. The rejoinder followed a recent press statement credited to some affected political office holders.
NULGE said it was forced to respond to set the record straight and uphold due process, insisting that no payment vouchers were withheld by union officials, senior local government staff, or Heads of Local Government Administration.
“Neither senior local government staff, Heads of Local Government Administration nor union leaders withheld any payment vouchers from the former officials,” the statement said.
The union further clarified that no local government worker in Osun State is owed salaries, stressing that workers receive their entitlements promptly through payments facilitated by the state government.
Raising concerns over the claims made by the APC officials, NULGE questioned the source and legitimacy of the payment vouchers allegedly prepared for traditional rulers. According to the union, local government workers are bound by public service rules and cannot process financial documents or act on directives that fall outside established legal and administrative frameworks.
It added that the funds referenced in the allegations were reportedly paid into an account not recognised within approved local government financial structures, noting that neither Heads of Local Government Administration, senior staff, nor NULGE officials are signatories to such accounts.
The union warned that engaging in actions without proper legal backing could expose workers to serious liabilities, insisting that its stance is guided strictly by the rule of law.
NULGE reaffirmed its commitment to the welfare of local government employees while operating within legal and regulatory limits. It urged members of the public to assess the situation objectively, maintaining that ongoing challenges at the local government level stem from unresolved legal and procedural issues rather than deliberate actions by workers or their representatives.
