The Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) has endorsed the candidacy of President Muhammadu Buhari ahead of the February 16 presidential election.
The National President of NULGE, Comrade Ibrahim Khaleel, who led a delegation to meet the Chairman of Buhari Support Organisation (BSO) who is also the Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Drugs Abuse, Brigadier General Buba Marwa (rtd), on Monday, said President Buhari deserved the endorsement because he was trustworthy.
He said the president had not hidden his commitment to ensuring a stronger and autonomous local government administration in the country.
He expressed hope that Mr President would match his statement with action after emerging victorious on February 16 as part of the mandate given to him for the endorsement.
Comrade Khaleel, who said the nation’s quest for stability at all levels could not be achieved without strengthening the local governments as a critical tier of government, pledged to mobilize their members across the country to work for the victory of President Buhari.
“Based on what we agreed, we have done our part. We will mobilise our members. You have our support on the issue of President Buhari project because we feel he is trustworthy,” he said, while pointing out that NULGE had to partner with political organisation to stop the decay in local government system.
He said, “If we are to ask ourselves, is the local government meeting the expectations of citizens like us? Why are our local governments malfunctioning? It is because of the interests that lie therein. We are aware that the Constitution of Nigeria recognises the local government as a full fledged tier of government.
In his remarks, Brigadier General Marwa (rtd), who is a former military administrator of Lagos State, promised that President Buhari, who had been supporting workers’ friendly policies, would live up to their expectations.
Earlier, Gen Marwa had tasked NULGE to support the federal government in to rid the nation of drug abuse especially among youths and women, adding that two generations risk being wiped out because of the challenge.
He said it took the coming of President Buhari to tackle the issue of drug abuse frontally by setting up a committee under his leadership, seeking the assistance of NULGE to curb the menace at all levels.
The meeting was attended by the former deputy governor of Plateau State, Mrs Pauline Tallen; Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa, and the BSO Coordinator, Dr Mahmoud Mohammed among others.
