The leadership of a factional group of Local Government workers in Osun State, under the aegis of the Association of Concerned Local Government Workers (ACLGW), has directed striking staff across the state to immediately resume work.

Local government administration in Osun had been paralyzed since Monday, February 17, 2025, following violent clashes between members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) over the control of the councils.

At the time, the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), led in Osun by its state president, Dr. Kehinde Ogungbangbe, had directed workers to stay away from duty posts.

The directive, according to him, was to prevent staff from becoming casualties in the political clashes.

However, on Thursday in Osogbo, the State Coordinator of the factional group, Adedayo Adekunle, accused NULGE’s leadership of insensitivity by keeping workers at home for seven months and urged local government staff to return to their offices immediately.

Adekunle, while addressing journalists, also called on security agencies to protect workers, stressing that local government staff were apolitical.

He said, “To avoid degradation and possible job loss, concerned local government staff hereby call on all patriotic and law-abiding local government workers to resume back to work without delay. Information at our disposal is that staff auditing has been slated for next week to ascertain the actual number of staff in the office.

“In addition, all staff are to report to their mother council with their first appointment letter, confirmation letter and last promotion letter, for easier and proper identification of bona fide staff. Sequel to the above, we want to use this medium to assure our members that we are apolitical.”

But in a counter-statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, David Owoeye, Osun NULGE disowned the directive, insisting that neither its state nor national leadership had asked members to resume work.

The statement partly read, “The Union is using this medium to inform our well-respected and esteemed members to know that such information did not emanate from the elected State NULGE Executives under the leadership of Comrade Dr. Nathaniel Kehinde Ogungbangbe, and there is no directive of such from the national body of our Union under the leadership of Comrade Haruna Aliyu Kankara.

“It was authored to destabilize the peace of the state, through which our members could be massacred and reduce our membership strength. Therefore, the Union is beseeching all our esteemed members to see the write-up as the handiwork of the killers of destiny, which needed to be completely jettisoned and stay away from office until further directive from the real elected State NULGE executives under Com. Dr. Nathaniel Kehinde Ogungbangbe.”

Meanwhile, the Osun State House of Assembly has again warned commercial banks in the state against honouring unauthorized financial instructions on local government accounts.

In a letter signed by the Speaker, Mr. Adewale Egbedun, and dated Thursday, October 2, 2025, the Assembly drew attention to what it described as unlawful financial directives allegedly issued in some local governments, including Boluwaduro, authorizing deductions of up to 15 per cent of September 2025 allocations in favour of private individuals.

The letter read in part, “Accordingly, you are hereby formally warned not to honour any instruction — verbal, written, or electronic — authorizing disbursement, deduction, or diversion of public funds from any local government account domiciled in your bank unless such instruction originates from the legally authorized signatories and is supported by express budgetary provision approved by the House.

“Any transaction in breach of this position shall attract the full constitutional and legal consequences, including summons before the House, the issuance of warrants of arrest, and referrals to anti-corruption agencies for investigation and prosecution.

“Your institution will also stand the risk of blacklisting and recommendation for withdrawal of the privilege to operate government accounts. You are reminded that your response to our initial request remains due within the 24-hour timeframe already communicated.”

PUNCH Online reports that the Assembly had, on Monday, passed similar resolutions warning commercial banks against allowing unauthorized signatories to access allocations meant for the 30 local government areas in the state.

In a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker, Olamide Tiamiyu, the lawmakers stressed that only duly authorized officers under the employment of the Local Government Service Commission are permitted to be signatories to council accounts.

The Assembly’s resolutions partly read: “That any attempt by unauthorized persons to access Local Government funds is unlawful, unconstitutional, and of no legal effect;

“That all commercial and other financial institutions operating in Osun State are directed to comply strictly with this Resolution, while government agencies are to ensure close monitoring and enforcement;

“That any violation of this directive will be treated as aiding and abetting financial fraud and will attract full legal consequences under the law; and

“That this step is taken in the public interest to safeguard the resources of our Local Governments, ensure accountability, and guarantee that funds meant for grassroots development are protected from abuse or diversion.”

The Assembly also urged members of the public to remain vigilant and report suspected infractions to relevant authorities. (The PUNCH)