LABOUR UNIONS THANK GOV UGWUANYI AS HE RESTORES NULGE LAND
REPORTER: OKECHUKWU EZEONA
Enugu State Government says it is determined to ensure that justice, equity and due process of governance is followed in carrying out it’s functions to protect the least people and the vulnerable ones in the society.
The State Commissioner for Land and Urban Development, Mr. Nnanyelugo Chidi Aroh, gave the indication when members of National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) and its umbrella Unions—Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), in the state paid a thank you visit to Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi at Government House Enugu.
The visit was sequel to the restoration of land, plot P/23CA located in Independence Layout Enugu, allocated to NULGE in 2011 but was purportedly revoked without following due process by the immediately past Commissioner for Lands, Mr. Victor Nnam.
Mr. Aroh explained that after a comprehensive review, at the instance of the Governor, it was established that neither permission nor the Governors approval was sought for, in line with the requirements of the Land Use Act, before the revocation of the said plot of land was done.
“We discovered that the process of revocation are not even contained in the file, you directed that we should reverse this purported revocation, in that process we should immediately restore the land that belonged to NULGE to them,” Mr. Aroh commented.
In a speech, the National President of NULGE, Mr. Akeem Olatunji commended Governor Ugwuanyi for the courage he demonstrated in restoring the land to the union.
“What you have done was beyond just returning the land to NULGE, it shows clearly that you are a courageous leader, you stand out tall to be a man who believed in justice and fairness. You have once again demonstrated that you a lover of local government people,” Mr. Olatunji commended.
In their goodwill messages, the Enugu State Chairman of NULGE, Comrade Kenneth Ugwueze, and his NLC and TUC counterparts, Comrades Virginus Nwobodo and Ben Asogwa, commended Governor Ugwuanyi for his labour friendly programmes and prompt intervention in the NULGE land matter, which according to them, would have degenerated into crisis.
Top government functionaries, including the Secretary to the State Government, Professor Simon Ortuanya; the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Dr. Festus Uzor; and the state Commissioner for Labour, Mr. Uche Ogbonna, were present at the event.