The Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) has dragged the Kaduna State government to the National Industrial Court, Abuja, challenging the Kaduna State Local Government Councils (Restructuring and Staffing Order) tagged K.D.S.L.N. 2017, which sets out the maximum staffing level for all local government and provides that workers in local governments that have employees in excess of the maximum staffing level be declared redundant.
In the suit filed on behalf of NULGE by its counsel, Femi Aborisade, the union argued that the governor lacked the power to enact such law.
Joined as defendants in the summon are the Kaduna State governor, the Speaker, Kaduna State House of Assembly, the Kaduna State Attorney General & Commissioner for Justice, Kaduna State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Kaduna State Local Government Service Commission and Head of Service, Kaduna state respectively.
The union wants the court to declare the Kaduna State Local Government Councils (Restructuring and Staffing Order) tagged K.D.S.L.N. 2017 unconstitutional
Part of the reliefs sought by the union reads, “a declaration that the 1st Defendant, being a civilian governor of Kaduna State, under the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, as amended, lacks legislative powers and that the power of the 1st defendant are limited to maintaining the constitution and executing only the provisions of the law made by the state House of Assembly of Kaduna State”.
Meanwhile, NULGE has also written to the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige to declare a Trade Dispute between the union and the Kaduna State government.
In the letter to the minister signed by Femi Aborisade on behalf of the union, NULGE said 4, 410 local government employees across the 23 local government areas in Kaduna are set to be declared redundant by the new order of the state government.
