An advocacy group, Osun Open Local Government (OsunOpenLG), has called on local government workers in Osun State to demonstrate patriotism, transparency and accountability in the discharge of their duties, warning that the lingering crisis in the local government system is hindering grassroots development.
The call was made on Friday during a stakeholders’ engagement on “Reporting for Grassroots Accountability: Strengthening Osun Local Government Through Public Interest Journalism,” held at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Press Centre in Osogbo.
Speaking during the programme, the executive director of the group, Jare Tiamiyu said the challenges facing local governments in the state were not caused by political actors alone, stressing that workers also have a responsibility to uphold the principles of accountability and public service.
According to the group, many local government employees have continued to receive salaries despite the prolonged disruption of activities at council secretariats, urging them to place the interests of the people and the Nigerian Constitution above political affiliations.
“The crisis in the local government started from local government staff, and they have contributed a lot to this problem. They are getting salaries without doing any work.
“We are calling on them to be patriotic to the system, the people and the Constitution of Nigeria, and not to any political party or government in power. They should do the right thing,” the group stated.
Osun Open LG also expressed concern over the continued closure of local government secretariats across the state, noting that the situation has persisted for more than 20 months and has negatively affected governance and service delivery at the grassroots.
The organisation appealed to the leadership of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) to take decisive steps toward resolving the impasse.
“We are calling on the NULGE leadership. Enough is enough. Local governments in Osun have been closed for some time now, for more than twenty months. We cannot continue like this. We are urging them to be transparent and patriotic,” the group added.
The event, organised by Insight Initiative under the OsunOpenLG Project, focused on strengthening local government administration through public interest journalism and promoting greater accountability in governance at the grassroots level.
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