Osun LG crisis: Low turnout as council workers resume duties

Shina Abubakar, Osogbo

Low turnout marred local government workers across Osun State after an eight-month strike over control crisis at the third tier of government.

Recall that aggrieved council workers, through their Coordinator, Comrade Adedayo Adekunle, had last week called on others to resume work, describing their eight-month-old strike as unnecessary, while the NULGE President insisted that the stay-at-home would continue.

The workers shut down the council since February this year, following the impasse between the PDP and APC elected council officials.

The protracted crisis kept council offices locked until recently, when the Federal Government recognised the reinstated APC chairmen by releasing six months withheld allocations to the LGA accounts operated by them.

Vanguard while monitoring resumption on Monday, observed that workers resumed duty in Boripe, Orolu, Obokun, Osogbo, Olorunda, Ifelodun, Ayedire, and Ilesa West local government areas of Osun State amid heavy security.

It was however, observed that there was a low turnout of workers at the local government areas of the state that were visited on Monday despite a heavy security presence.

The Chairman of Olorunda LGA, Hon Kunle Kudaisi addressing newsmen dispelled the claim that the council has been under lock and key since February 2025, saying, “We have been attending to our assignment in the LG, but today the NULGE formally resumed, as you can see them hanging around.”

He lamented that many of the workers could not resume because many of them went to the Osun State Secretariat for their promotion letters.
“We have the NLUGE who has resumed and also the political office holder we are fully on ground, so there is no problem at all.”

He appealed to other workers to resume as he assured that the environment is safe for everyone including the residents.

A worker at Olorunda LGA named Kuburat Aderemi expressed joy over the resumption, saying that “the closure of councils made us not have access to cooperative, deductions among others. There is no insecurity at the council, I enjoy other workers resuming duty.”

Also, the LG chairman of Ifelodun, Hassan Kamo welcomed workers to the council, stating that “civil servants are landlords of LGAs secretariats while we, politicians are tenants, I am glad to see them resuming after 8 months.”

Boripe Council Chair, Sikiru Odebunmi, reiterated his commitment to ensuring the safety and security of workers under his administration.

Attempts to speak with the APC factional Chairman of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria(APC), Abiodun Idowu, was abortive as he refused to pick up his calls and respond to text messages sent to his phone as at the time of filing this report.

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