Local Government Council workers in Benue State have embarked on a two-week warning strike over non-payment of salaries and arrears, promotion of staff as at when due, reinstatement of 2011/2012 illegally sacked workers, among other things.
The strike came barely a week after the state’s House of Assembly had ordered the immediate suspension of the Auditor-General for Local Governments, Dr Abraham Gberindyer, over allegations of financial impropriety amounting to N4.6 billion.
It was gathered that most local government secretariats in the state on Wednesday complied with the directive to obey the warning strike as they remained under lock and key, thereby crippling activities.
Dr Gberindyer was reported to be involved in the scandal alongside other officials within the Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.
In the notice of the strike action dated 13th May, 2026 and copied to all state officers, all brach chairmen and secretaries as well as all young workers and women officers and staff respectively signed by President of the union, Joshua Adah Odinya and Secretary, Comrade Asenechi Musa Yusuf, the aggrieved council workers stated that their grievances have been made known to Governor Hyacinth Alia on his assumption of office, but he has not attended to them up till now.
“Recalled that the State Executive Council (SEC) of NULGE in the state, in her meeting of 21st April, 2026, resolved, among other issues and requested the state government to unconditionally pay her members’ salaries for March/April 2026.
SEC also told the government to “unconditionally release and implement all pending promotions of Local Government staff; release all issues militating against the smooth implementation of BEPCON remittances of Local Government workers of the state; reinstatement of disengaged 2011/2022 Local Government workers as well as payment of all salary arrears of local government workers in the state.”
The union leaders further said, the SEC of NULGE did not stop there but also met on the 7th of May, 2026, after the expiration of the 14- days ultimatum and also resolved that another seven working days’ reminder notice be served on the government to implement all demands of the union or face industrial action.
“Unfortunately, the State Government has remained adamant and ignored all the opportunities offered by the union to resolve this dispute to avert the consequences.
“In view of these, the union has been pushed to the wall and is left with no option, hence resolved that all Local Government workers should commence a two-week stay-at-home warning strike effective from Thursday, 14th May, 2026.
However, while the NULGE strike lasts, the Auditor-General for Local Government, Dr Gberindyer, is being investigated for the alleged fraud caused in the local government system in the state.
