Government workplaces shut as Osun staff start 3-day strike over LG allocation saga

Government workplaces in Osun state shut down Monday as staff embark on a three-day strike as directed by the state chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Sunday.

The gates to the Osun state authorities secretariat and the state House of Assembly in Osogbo, the state capital, have been underneath lock with no employee or enterprise actions ongoing within the premises.

Similarly, the gates to the secretariats of the Olorunda and Osogbo native authorities areas gates have been additionally locked.

Students of public faculties in Osogbo have been turned again residence as their academics joined the strike.

The NLC chairman in Osun state, Christopher Arapasopo, and the secretary, Victor Amusan, in a press release Sunday directed all affiliate members of the congress to embark on a three-day sympathy strike with the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE).

The NLC management acknowledged that the strike adopted the expiration of the 7 -day ultimatum issued to the federal and Osun state governments over the continued withholding of the state native authorities statutory allocations.

The NLC stated the problems raised in regards to the native authorities allocations had remained unresolved.

It stated after exhausting all affordable avenues, and in accordance with the resolutions reached on the emergency assembly of the State Executive Council (SEC) held on 28 October, all affiliate members of NLC have been directed to embark on strike.

The controversy over the management of Osun state native governments and use of their allocations dates again to the early months of Governor Ademola Adeleke’s administration in 2022.

Following his inauguration, separate lawsuits have been filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Action Peoples Party (APP) challenged the native authorities election performed by the then outgoing All Progressives Congress (APC) administration led by former Governor Adegboyega Oyetola shortly earlier than leaving workplace.

The challengers argued that the APC-led election didn’t adjust to provisions of the Electoral Act requiring election notices to be issued not less than 180 days earlier than polling.

In its judgement on the matter, the Osun State High Court in Ilesa ordered the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC) to conduct contemporary polls, holding that the earlier electoral course of didn’t adjust to statutory necessities. The officers who emerged victorious within the February 2025 election have been sworn in.

However, officers sacked by Adeleke challenged the event on the Court of Appeal which additionally ordered their reinstatement.

The dispute later escalated right into a political and safety disaster, with rival teams laying declare to council secretariats throughout the state.

However, the battle for management of the councils turned violent when some APC members tried to take over the secretariats, citing beneficial court docket selections, resulting in clashes with resisting PDP supporters and elevating tensions in a number of elements of the state.

In the conflict, not less than 5 folks have been reportedly useless. The violence prompted Governor Adeleke to direct the newly elected chairmen to keep away from council secretariats so as to stop additional violence. (NAN)