The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has called on the Federal Government to give autonomy to the 774 local governments in the country.
In a statement by its President, Comrade Igwe Achese, the union said it believed that local governments autonomy would ensure accountability and rapid infrastructural development.
He said the autonomy would make the local government chairmen and councillors more responsive and acceptable to the people at the grassroots.
The union condemned in its entirety the action of governors, who allegedly remove duly elected local government chairmen and councillors at will, noting that granting them autonomy would put a stop to it.
NUPENG also said the autonomy would make sure that direct allocation from the Federation Account are paid directly to local governments, thereby putting a stop to the hijack by governors.
The union said such direct allocations to the local government chairmen and councillors would ensure prompt payment of salaries and allowances to workers as at when due.
NUPENG, therefore, appealed to the Federal Government to urgently revisit the issue and grant local governments full autonomy to guarantee grassroot development.