Osun State local government workers have ruled out an immediate return to work, insisting that only directives from the Nigeria Labour Congress,  NLC, and the National Union of Local Government Employees, NULGE, can determine their resumption.

Recall that the workers were instructed to stay away from their offices on February 16 by the leadership of NULGE and the NLC due to insecurity concerns arising from the legal tussle over the enforcement of a Court of Appeal judgment in Akure, which involved elected local government officials seeking reinstatement after their removal from office.

The affected officials, chairmen and councillors elected under the All Progressives Congress in the October 15, 2022, local government elections, claimed that the Court of Appeal had overturned an earlier judgment by Justice Nathaniel Ayo-Emmanuel of the Federal High Court in Osogbo, which had sacked them on November 25, 2022.

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Speaking anonymously, some local government staff members stated that returning to work was not a priority at the moment, citing concerns over their February salary and the upcoming NULGE state election.

However, the Osun State Government countered their claim, stating that the court did not issue a consequential order for their reinstatement but merely allowed the appeal against their removal.

Reacting to the situation, the leader of the APC-elected council chairmen, Abiodun Idowu, urged the workers to resume, assuring them of their safety.