Withheld LG allocations: Osun NLC gives federal government seven-day ultimatum, threatens strike

From Lateef Dada, Osogbo

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Osun State Council, has issued a seven-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to resolve the continued withholding of statutory allocations meant for local government councils in the state.

In a communique issued in Osogbo on Saturday and signed by the State Chairman, Christopher Arapasopo, the congress warned that failure to address the issue within the stipulated timeframe would trigger a three-day sympathy strike and peaceful picketing of all United Bank for Africa (UBA) branches across the state.

Arapasopo expressed deep concern that the prolonged funding crisis had crippled the financial capacity of local government councils, making it impossible for them to discharge their constitutional responsibilities and meet their obligations to workers.

While acknowledging Governor Ademola Adeleke’s intervention in paying local government workers their net salaries without deductions, the NLC stressed that state interventions could not serve as a permanent replacement for the regular release of statutory allocations to the councils.

The communique read in part: “The SEC-in-Session warns that failure by the relevant authorities to meet these demands within the stipulated seven-day ultimatum will leave the NLC, Osun State Council, with no alternative but to implement lawful industrial actions… in solidarity with the affected local government workers.

“Such actions shall include a three-day sympathy strike in solidarity with NULGE, commencing at midnight on Sunday, 8th November, 2026, and ending at midnight on Wednesday, 11th November, 2026.

“The commencement of peaceful picketing of UBA branches across Osun State from Thursday, 12th November, 2026, as part of the Congress’s collective efforts to demand an immediate end to the continued withholding and disputed disbursement of local government statutory allocations,” the union said.

The SEC-in-Session emphasised that the proposed actions were not intended to create hardship for the citizens of Osun State, but were a legitimate response to the prolonged economic distress imposed on local government workers.

The union disclosed that mobilisation was currently under way with the backing of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), South-West councils, to ensure total compliance.

The congress reaffirmed its commitment to defending workers’ rights, warning that industrial peace could not be sustained where injustice and financial uncertainty persisted.

The NLC urged both the Federal and Osun State governments to act with urgency and responsibility, calling on well-meaning stakeholders to support an enduring resolution that would restore normalcy to the local government system.

The post Withheld LG allocations: Osun NLC gives federal government seven-day ultimatum, threatens strike appeared first on The Sun Nigeria.