The all awaited rescheduled election into the vacant offices of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees, NULGE has failed again, as the State Chairman, Comrade Franklyn Ajinwo called off the August rescheduled election.
Recalled the election originally slated for May Tuesday 26th, 2015 was cancelled due to an alleged insecurity especially in the local government areas as petitioned by a faction of the Union considered as outgoing executives.
It was gathered that incumbent officers of the Union refused to relinquish their offices after tenure, hence the incessant frivolous petitions to halt the conduct of the election to further endorse their stay in office. To crown it all, the State President of the Union, Comrade (Barr.) Franklyn Ajinwo had appointed the same group of executive members as caretaker members at the pains and detriment of the workers who are bent to exercise their franchise in electing their new leaders.
The Newswriter gathered that the cancelled elections across the state was not without the connivance of the state President Ajinwo, who it was said wanted his supposed loyalists to man those local government chapters against the decisions of workers of the respective branches.
However, the said election which was rescheduled for Tuesday 30th August, 2016 was equally cancelled by the President who scheduled it.
In the case of some LGA’s particularly in the South-East Senatorial District of Rivers, the failed election of May 2015 was precisely day the then APC government sworn-in their purported councilors and the question, is if the APC could sworn in their men without security threat, why can’t the NULGE an internal Union within the council conduct her elections?
Meanwhile, members of the Union across the state have without mincing words urge NULGE state President Mr. Ajinwo to desist from interfering with branch elections of the Union if peace must reign.
President of the Union has also been accused of thwarting the August 30th, 2016 election without any reasonable excuse. Members of the Union wondered why an election could be postponed with a flimsy excuse on the absence of the Head of Local Government Administration who was bedridden in the case of some LGA’s.
Arguing further, the members faulted Mr. Ajinwo’s stand against conduct of NULGE election on such issues and wondered why such bedridden HLGAs in their various council were not in charge of the councils as dissolved by the governor, rather their Heads of Personnel Managements – HPM’s.
While several options are been contemplated on how to rejuvenate the dead Union across the state led by Mr. Ajinwo, he (state president) was also accused of murdering the once vibrant and result-oriented Union in the state.
NULGE state president was not also spared of the allegation of attempting to make the local government councils through the NULGE, ineffective, lawless and uncontrollable to achieve his alleged APC interest in Rivers.
Most Local Government Areas where caretaker committees who are also former executive members controls the NULGE activities are liable to face some difficulty, since according to The Newswriter’s report from the Etche chapter of the Union; those LGA’s are considered to have no Union since caretakers are not welcomed.
All efforts to reach Mr. Ajinwo, Rivers President of NULGE proved abortive as he was not found on seat to react to the issues. ###
