Okorocha tasks NULGE on  food  security 

Governor, Rochas Okorocha of Imo state on Tuesday  challenged the leadership of the National Union  of Local Government Employees (NULGE) to engage workers of the 774 Local Government Councils  in the country in agriculture  for the  nation to tackle hunger and starvation ravaging some families.

Okorocha who warned that continued dependence on revenue from oil as the mainstay of the nation’s economy and the wanton neglect of agriculture by Nigerians might spell doom in no distant time if the  situation is not  arrested.

The governor gave the  advice when he declared open ,A Two-Day  First Women GenderYoung Workers Representative  Conference organised by the National Unión of Local Government Employees (NULGE) in Owerri with the theme  “Promoting  Women And Youth Participation In Trade Unionism In Nigeria.”

“Today, Germany and some other more advanced nations of the world are battling with legions of  refugees as a result  of severe  food  crisis  and so, we must go back to agriculture without further procrastination and it is only the local  government councils that can assist  us revolutionalize  our  agricultural sector”.

He therefore  called  for involvement  of more women in governance,  stressing that failure to accommodate the  womenfolk  in  governance is largely responsible for failure  in some  quarters.  He commended the organizers of the workshop for their vision to strengthen women and youth participation  in trade unionism and enjoined them to reach out to both states  and federal government for support in meaningful  agricultural activities

National President  of NULGE- Ibrahim Khaleel who spoke in tandem with the Imo state chairman of the Union  Ndubuisi Ucheghara explained  that the workshop was put in place to expose the council workers to stronger trade unionism, education and knowledge. This  he said would  enhance their capacity building and knowledge in leadership and inclusive participation  in governance

The  trade union leaders said that  the exercise was equally packaged for a better functional local government  system  in order to  bridge the gap in democracy and thus bring governance to the grassroots.

Val Okara, Owerri