The Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) has called for a 300 per cent increment in the minimum wage for workers across all sectors due to the inflation caused by the removal of the petrol subsidy.

NULGE national president Ambali Olatunji said this in a communique jointly signed by general secretary Isah Gambo at the end of its regular National Executive Council (NEC) meeting on Thursday in Abuja.

Mr Olatunji said the 300 per cent rise was based on the inflation necessitated by removing the petrol subsidy on local government staff, other public servants and private sector workers.

He also said considering governors’ overbearing posture on local government, which had left it prostrate in the country, there was a need for a state of emergency to be declared on local government administration.

He added that considering the state of insecurity that had affected food production in the country, the local government administration should be assisted in establishing special vigilantes to protect farmers.

The NULGE boss, however, acknowledged the effort of federal and state governments to cushion the effect of economic policies on citizens.

Mr Olatunji also urged the government to utilise the $800 million from World Bank to provide mass transit and other interventions, especially in the automobile spare parts companies, to cater for the transport need of the masses.

Meanwhile, Mr Olatunji has called for the immediate reopening of the 17 LG secretariats shut down by the Plateau governor. He also called for establishing local government police (community police) to address worsening insecurity.

Mr Olatunji further called for special rural allowances for local government staff to discourage rural-urban migration. 

(NAN)