Speaking when he received in audience the State President and other executive officers of the Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) at the Government House, Enugu, Governor Nnamani said that his government’s major interest in locality administration was to help bring government closer to the grassroots.

According to the Governor: “Clearly, our interest in locality administration is getting government closer to the people. By that we also get development closer to the people, and in the spirit of democracy carry everybody along.”

The State Chief Executive restated his administration’s great respect for NULGE and the importance attached to their welfare, as well as the development of the rural areas where the majority of the people resides.

Said the Governor: “We also know that we are politicians. That is why our government has tried as much as possible to protect NULGE from unnecessary interference by politicians… we have tried as much as possible to maintain professionalism in the areas involving NULGE”.

He thanked the members of the union for their understanding, support and cooperation over the years and assured them of prompt payment of their salaries and other entitlements as well as the release of their 2005/2006 promotions.

“On the part of government, we will continue to maintain our commitment to NULGE which is to pay your salary as and at when due, to pay your entitlements … so as soon as I get the documents and clarify the financial implications the promotion will be released”, he assured the council workers.

The Governor also promised to consider their request for more political appointments, reminding them that members of NULGE in the state were appointed permanent secretaries.

Earlier in his speech, the State President of the union, Mr. Eugene Ugwu, described Governor Nnamani as a friend of NULGE, pointing out that prior to his assumption of office, many local government areas in the state were being owned several months of arrears of salaries and leave allowances.

He noted with satisfaction that a high percentage of these arrears had been cleared adding that ever since then, it had been one good story after another.

Mr. Ugwu observed that Enugu State NULGE was among the most favoured beneficiaries of the Chimaroke Nnamani Administration. He told the Governor: “I am happy to report to you sir, that there is a prompt payment of staff salaries to local government employees at a rate that is yet unprecedented in the history of our union. We have expressed our gratitude to Your Excellency at several fora and I feel that yet another appreciation will not be too much”.

The union applauded the State Government for the creation of Local Government Development Centres which they affirmed had brought development closer to the people.

“With the creation of these Development Centres, local government workers were given the opportunity of contributing their quota to grassroots development. We have witnessed a lot of job creation and hitherto redundant staff now have a sense of belonging and are provided with avenues of proving their worth in council administration”, he said.

The State NULGE President thanked Governor Nnamani on behalf of the union for the appointment of their members as heads of personnel management, treasurers, town engineers, and heads of various departments of the local government system, adding that a good number of them also benefited from government’s periodic training programmes.

Mr. Ugwu also observed with delight the seeming permanent freeze in retrenchment of local government staff in the state and the increase in the recruitment of more workers into the system.

He further told the Enugu State Chief Executive: “Your administration has shown that it has a low tolerance for staff retrenchment for which we are grateful to you. We cannot but mention the various recruitment exercises that your administration has carried out in local governments and the utmost transformation of the system for good”.

The NULGE chief lauded the Governor for his numerous life-changing projects in the state, adding that the poverty alleviation programme of the administration had been clearly effective at the grassroots.