The Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Osun State Chapter, has reaffirmed its commitment to grassroots governance.
The Chairman of ALGON, Hon. Abiodun Idowu, said this in a statement issued on Thursday, stressing that the legally recognised All Progressives Congress (APC)-led local government executives remain the authentic administrators of the 30 local governments and the area office in the state.
He recalled that the mandate freely given to them by the people in October 2022 was temporarily interrupted by Governor Ademola Adeleke’s administration before being restored by the Court of Appeal on February 10, 2025.
“Plans are ongoing to recall and re-engage the 1,500 teachers employed by the last APC government of former Governor Adegboyega Oyetola but sacked by the present administration.
“We will also recall the dismissed health workers, O’YES cadets, and O’Meal vendors. Beyond recalling them, we will offset part of their salaries and emoluments. This is a policy statement, not politics,” Idowu said.
He further assured that traditional rulers in the state would also benefit, as arrangements have been concluded to clear arrears owed to them by the state government.
Idowu accused the Adeleke administration of using the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) and other groups to frustrate the release of federal allocations meant for local governments, which he said would have eased financial pressures on traditional rulers, teachers, and health workers.
“Our Kabiyesis, sacked teachers, health workers, O’YES and O’Meal workers will smile again,” he declared.
The ALGON chairman also dismissed reports circulating in the media that the APC was plotting to siphon the local government allocation by illegally instructing commercial bank to deduct 15 percent of local government allocations as legal fees, insisting that all actions of the council executives since they were reinstated in February had been guided by the rule of law, pledging that his leadership would continue to uphold due process in contract awards and public fund management.
