Ondo NULGE blasts Ifedore Council Chairman over comments on workers absenteeism

The Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees, (NULGE) on Friday lambasted the Executive Chairman of Ifedore local government, Alex Oladimeji for alleging that only 30 percent of council workers in the state reports to offices while the remaining 70 percent are absentees.

In a press statement by Comrade Adejala Olasehlnde, Chairman, Congress of NULGE Branch Chairmen in Ondo State; Comrade Oluwatuyi Olasoji, NULGE Branch Chairman in Akure South Branch alnd Comrade Afuye Kayode, NULGE Branch Chairman in Ifedore local government, the Union described Oladimeji’s comment as uninformed and merely the figment of his mischievous imagination.

Oladimeji had while speaking on TV programme said, “You know I will say it the way I see things, I will not lie to you, our people don’t come to work, only about 30% of them come regularly, absentism is common. We are trying our best to correct such trend but their ogas (directors/HODs) in the office shield them; they don’t report them for disciplinary actions.”

Reacting to the outburst, the NULGE leaders said “We are constrained to respond to the unsubstantiated and irresponsible claim by Honourable Alex Oladimeji the Executive Chairman of Ifedore Local Govemment to the effect that seventy percent (70%) of workers do not come to work in their respective Local Governments.

“This uninformed comment shows that the Chairman is not on ground to carry out the task of good leadership that is entrusted to him by the good people of Ifedore Local Govemment.

“We wish to state without equivocation that this statement does not in any way represent the true position of things. It is merely the figment of the mischievous imagination of Honourable Oladimeji.

“For making that reckless claim, the Chairman either did not do his findings to know why some workers are not physically present in their Local Government Secretariats or he is just urged on by his ill-intentions to frustrate hard-working and very dutiful Local Govemment workers.

“To set the record straight, some Local Government workers due to the nature of their job do not have to physically appear at the Local Government Secretariat.

Such categories of workers are Primary Health Care (PHC) staff, the environmental officers and the revenue collectors i.e rate officers.

This staff, who are field officers, alone account for about 60% of the total number of staff in any Local Government and they are always at their duty posts.

“Let us use Idanre Local Government as an example. Idanre LG has 46 health centres and out of the 46, only 10 are within the town. The remaining 36 are in the remote areas.

And LG staff posted to these health centres in remote areas do go to their duty posts on daily basis. This is the pattern in all LGs.

“In such a situation; how can any Council Chairman see these staff within the Council Secretariat on daily basis? How does this translate to absence from duty?

“Worthy of note is the fact that same thing applies to environmental officers who are always in town to ensure the cleanness of our surroundings and revenue collectors that are generating revenues for the Local Governments.

“We are not surprised at the needless outburst of the Chairman. He must have had this notion, using his wife who is fond of absenting from duties without permission as a yardstick.

His wife is currently a staff in the Administrative department of Akure South Local Government. Rather than the Chairman to correct his wife’s attitude to work, he toed the wrong path of labeling all local government workers as truants.

“Honourable Oladimeji, very undeserving of this elated position, does not have go emotions to withstand the challenges of leadership.

We are not unaware of the recent threat to his political career, which is a payback to his disloyalty to the party and to his leaders in the party.

“We have it from good sources that he worked against the suggestion of party leaders when the leader of the House was to be elected and party faithfuls have now taken the battle to his door-step as a payback for his insubordination.

“Now that he is feeling the heat, he chose venting his anger on and transference of aggression on innocent workers as a way (though infantile and foolishly) of escape from the unpalatable consequences of his ill-advised actions of turning against his leaders.

The NULGE leaders called on Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu to ignore the misinformation by Oladimeji.

“We hereby use this opportunity to call on the Governor of our Dear State, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu (SAN) and other stakeholders to disregard this misinformation about staff of the Local Governments not going to work.

“We are hardworking; We have been so. And we shall continue to be hardworking in the discharge of our duties. We shall not be deterred by people with questionable loyalty who intend to tarnish others.

We see them as AJEGBODO TO N W’ENI KUN RA,” the NULGE Branch Chairmen said.