Osun NULGE Continuous Withdrawal Of Services Is Indictment Of State Security Managers Also Necessitate Renewal Of Calls For State Of Emergency - Akin Adeyi

 

The Osun State chapter of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) commenced the withdrawal of services on February 17, 2025. This action was directed by both NULGE and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on February 16, 2025, in response to political tensions and security concerns following a Court of Appeal judgment related to the local government crisis in Osun State. According to the Union leadership the decision was made to ensure the safety of local government workers amid the escalating situation.

The implication of this situation is that, as of this 6th of April 2025, local government services in Osun state have been completely crippled owing to a preemptive assumption made by a few individuals, which has not come to fruition as there have been no security threats or safety concerns for lives at the local councils or state level since the officials started withdrawing services.

From a security expert's perspective, I will evaluate this situation from a different viewpoint. 

One, the NULGE leadership's concerns about their colleagues' security and safety due to political tensions at the time may have been well-founded though . However, the extended withdrawal of services for almost two months thereafter is a significant indictment of the state's security managers, with the police and Department of State Services (DSS) being the primary security entities responsible for safeguarding the state and its citizens which includes the workers. 

Two, a reasonable explanation for this development is that NULGE, by publicly announcing their concerns and directing their colleagues to withdraw services, has kind of filed a formal or informal complaint / petition with the security departments, either deliberately or inadvertently. But how has their complaints been handled ? The public is now eager to know how these departments has responded so far.

The police department, in particular, is the leading agency responsible for providing secure environments and protecting lives and property. The same applies to other departments, such as the DSS and other sister agencies. However, they appear to have been implicated by this development. NULGE has alleged threats to the lives of its members, and the state's security managers seem to be in agreement, as evidenced by their conspiracy of silence. 

Ahead of now, the state's security chiefs should have showcased their revamped security strategy, complete with enhanced design, installation, and management. By now the news media ought to have been informed of the concrete steps which includes meetings between the union leadership and at the instance of the security community to ensure the union's safety and immediate return to work, Sadly, no such report has been made probably because it never happened.

To summarize, Osun NULGE has, in this case, artfully levied a substantial indictment against the state's security managers. The union has, either deliberately or inadvertently, portrayed the official security community in Osun as sluggish, ineffective, and woefully lacking in crisis management capabilities, having cited threats to their members' security as reasons for their absence from work for two consecutive months. A fundamental tenet of security is responsiveness, and it is precisely this area where NULGE Osun has cleverly exposed the security architectures as lacking for two months running.

The governor, as the chief security officer, would typically convene security meetings and other actions to address issues like the NULGE withdrawal of services and facilitate workers' return to work. However, it appears that the state government is allegedly behind the withdrawal, which raises questions about their role in maintaining law and order.

The police and other security agencies, tasked with maintaining peace and order, have been implicated in this situation. Their failure to address NULGE's claims has damaged their reputation and competency. As chief security officer, the governor ought to take responsibility for ensuring the state's security and addressing concerns but he has failed the state in this case. Hence, some citizens renewal of calls for a declaration of a state of emergency.