From Attah Ede, Makurdi
Local government workers in Benue State, on Thursday, embarked on an indefinite strike to register their grievances over government’s inability to pay their salaries, release promotions and pension remittances.
The Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) Benue State chapter, had on Wednesday,13th May, 2026, directed the council workers to proceed on industrial action over unpaid salaries.
The directive and notice for the strike was signed by the State President, Joshua Adah Adiniya and Comrade Aseneshi Musa Yusuf for the State Secretary.
The union said the decision followed the expiration of a 14-day ultimatum earlier issued to the Benue State Government and an additional seven-working-day reminder notice.
In the statement titled “Notification of Strike Action,” NULGE accused the government of ignoring several opportunities to resolve the lingering dispute.
“Unfortunately the Benue State Government has remained adamant and ignored all the opportunities offered by the union to resolve these disputes to avert the consequences,” the union stated.
The workers are demanding the immediate payment of outstanding March and April 2026 salaries, implementation of pending promotions for local government staff, resolution of issues affecting BEPCON remittances, reinstatement of disengaged 2011/2012 local government workers, and payment of salary arrears owed workers across the state.
The union explained that its State Executive Council (SEC), at a meeting held on April 21, 2026, had resolved to press the government to address the grievances but said no meaningful action was taken.
“The union has been pushed to the wall and is left with no option,” the statement read,
It added that all local government workers were directed to commence a “two weeks stay-at-home warning strike effective from Thursday, May 14, 2026.”
NULGE further ordered members across the 23 local government areas of the state to ensure “full implementation and enforcement” of the strike directive, describing it as “a total lockdown of the third tier of local government in Benue State until further directive.”
Copies of the notice were also sent to the executive chairmen of the 23 local governments, divisional police officers, heads of the State Security Service in the councils, and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in the state.
The situation is expected to obstruct administrative and grassroots services across Benue’s local government system in the State if the impasse is not urgently resolved.
Governor Hyacinth Alia in the last two years insisted that there is local government autonomy in the State which supposed to mean that, local government should not owed workers salary.
Meanwhile, when contacted, the Permanent Secretary Bureau of local government and chieftaincy affairs, Mr. Ayu Terna, declined to comment on the issue, saying that he was not in the office where he could have spoken .
Also, the chairman of Benue local government service commission, Mr. James Ivever, denied any knowledge of strike by local government staff.
“I am not aware of any strike action by local government staff. If there is any industrial action by staff of local government, am yet to be communicated and no official communication has reached me in respect of strike”, Ivever stated.
