The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has backed the industrial action by its Osun State Council over the continued withholding of statutory allocations meant for the state’s 30 local government areas, calling on the Federal Government and other relevant authorities to resolve the dispute and ensure the release of the funds.
The Osun State Council of the NLC directed its affiliate unions to embark on a three-day sympathy strike in solidarity with the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), following the expiration of a seven-day ultimatum issued to the Federal Government and the Osun State Government.
The industrial action commenced at midnight on Sunday, November 8, and is scheduled to end at midnight on Wednesday, November 11, 2026.
In a statement jointly signed by the Osun NLC Chairperson, Christopher Arapasopo, and its Secretary, Victor Amusan, the union said the decision followed the failure of the relevant authorities to resolve the dispute despite earlier demands for intervention.
The union explained that the action was taken in accordance with resolutions reached at its emergency State Executive Council meeting held on October 28.
It directed all affiliate unions in the state to ensure compliance across workplaces, warning that any union deliberately undermining the directive could face disciplinary measures.
The NLC said the continued hardship confronting local government workers was a collective concern of the labour movement, stressing that the welfare, dignity and economic security of affected employees must be protected.
The dispute has also raised concerns over the ability of local government councils to meet their financial obligations, including workers’ salaries, cooperative deductions, allowances, pensions and gratuities.
Osun NLC Chairman, Christopher Arapasopo, said the industrial action was not intended to punish residents but to draw attention to the hardship confronting workers and pensioners.
He maintained that Governor Ademola Adeleke’s intervention in paying the net salaries of local government workers could not replace the regular release of statutory allocations due to the councils.
The union has demanded the immediate release of outstanding allocations, protection of workers’ entitlements and a lasting resolution of the financial dispute.
Strike disrupts public services
The industrial action has affected government activities across Osun State.
Reports from Osogbo indicated that the state government secretariat, public primary and secondary schools, the State High Court premises and some healthcare facilities were shut as workers complied with the strike directive.
Some workers who attempted to report for duty at the government secretariat in Abere were reportedly turned back.
At the State Specialist Hospital, Asubiaro, an official said the facility was not receiving new patients because of the industrial action, although a limited number of staff remained to attend to patients already admitted.
The strike has therefore raised concerns about the impact of the prolonged dispute on public services and residents who depend on government facilities.
Background to the Osun local government allocation dispute
The disagreement over local government administration and statutory allocations in Osun State has been ongoing since February 2025, following a political and legal dispute involving the state government and the All Progressives Congress (APC) over control of the 30 local government councils.
The crisis followed the controversy surrounding local government elections conducted by the state government and subsequent legal battles over the legitimacy of the council administrations.
The Federal Government’s decision to withhold the disputed allocations further intensified the disagreement.
In December 2025, the Supreme Court dismissed a suit filed by the Osun State Attorney-General seeking an order compelling the Federal Government to release withheld allocations directly to the councils.
The apex court held that the state Attorney-General lacked the legal authority to institute the action on behalf of the local government councils. The judgment also addressed the dispute surrounding the Federal Government’s withholding of the funds.
The continued disagreement has left local government workers and their unions demanding access to the statutory resources needed to sustain council operations and meet employees’ entitlements.
The NLC’s intervention has now widened the labour dispute beyond local government employees, with workers across different sectors in Osun joining the three-day solidarity action.
The union is urging the Federal Government and the Osun State Government to urgently resolve the impasse and ensure that local government workers are not left to bear the consequences of the prolonged political and administrative disagreement.
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