By Jude Atupulazi
The leadership of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees, NULGE, Anambra State Chapter, has hailed the Governor of Anambra State, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, for extending recognition to the Comrade Chuddy Orakwue executive following their victory in court.
NULGE in Anambra State has long been enmeshed in leadership crisis, leading to factionalization, with the former leadership being backed by the state government and enjoying check off dues. But after a protracted legal battle, the Orakuwe-led leadership got a favourable judgement by the Appeal Court, prompting the Soludo Government to finally recognize the group and start paying check off dues to them.
Consequently, the authentic leadership led by the Anambra State Chapter President, Orakwue, September 18, paid a thank-you and solidarity visit to Soludo at the Light House, Awka, in appreciation of his obedience to the rule of law.
At the visit, the Anambra NULGE thanked the Governor for standing for justice and the rule of law in settling the leadership skirmishes, which, they said, had enmeshed the Union since 2019.
Speaking through Orakwue, NULGE stated, ‘It’s to the knowledge of the state government that the Union has been factionalized since 2019 as a result of tenure elongation perpetuated by the Comrade Jerry Nnubia-led State Executive Council (SEC) which conducted a factional election after the national caretaker had conducted our first tenure elections on November 21, 2019. Jerry Nnubia and co conducted their own factional election on November 29, 2019, despite the pendency of a suit in suit no NICN/AWK/44/2019 and the judgement in suit no NICN/OW/36/2018, which is a judgement in rem.
‘The judgement in suit no NICN/AWK/44/2019 was delivered on 29th September, 2022. The judgement and the enrollment order are attached for your perusal. We also annex the Appeal Court judgement delivered on the 14th of July 2025 for your perusal. This judgement has settled the factional issue at the NEC of the Union. This Appeal Court judgement is the final judgement, as labour matters end at the Appeal Court.
‘Consequent upon this, the Honourable Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice has given a legal opinion and advice upon which we were recognized and paid one month check off dues for the month of August, despite being owed four months dues, from the month of May, 2025.
‘The decision of the Anambra State Government to uphold and abide by the rule of law which settled the factionalization of the Union in Anambra State did not augur well with some law breakers and miscreants who levied all sorts of cooked up and unfounded allegations against Barr Vin Ezeaka; Ikechukwu Abugu (who is not from Anambra state and a servant of the union) and Eucharia Uyanwunne; all offshoots of Jerry Nnubia/Chikwelu Adigwe, on 18 September 2025.
‘Ifeanyi Nworah, 07034220238 NULGE/AN/AD/08/25 faction, has been in the union for 16 years undetached and have been collecting this money illegally since September 29th when the judgement in suit no NICN/AWK/44/2019 was delivered, with the connivance of some top government functionaries who are also part of their sponsors,’ Orakwue said.
He further noted that on 17th September, they organized ‘a mob protest with miscreants, rebels and agents of destabilization to the Light House against the payment of the check off dues to us. They have also leveled all sorts of cooked up and unfounded allegations against our amiable and hardworking chairman of the Local Government Service Commission, Barr. Vin Ezeaka, because of the Solution Vanguard which is led by Barr. Ezeaka under the state coordination of Comrade Offor Obiora.
‘They are against the change, innovation, sanitization and transformation of the Local Government System which Barr. Ezeaka has enthroned since his appointment as the Commission Chairman. They are also against the verification of fake certificates and other infractions in the local government system which the chairman has embarked on,’ Orakwue stated.
He accused them of being sponsored for character assassination, injustice, abuse of law and blatant disobedience to court judgement by opposition political parties, even as he alleged further that some of their opponents sponsors were Gubernatorial Candidates, Chairmen and Secretaries of major political parties in Anambra State who had vowed not to see to the success of their court victory for reasons of causing industrial disharmony in the state.
‘We, the authentic NULGE Excos, and the entire workers in the 21 local government areas are solidly behind the Solution Vanguard led by our Chairman of the Local Government Service Commission and will work assiduously for Mr Governor’s re-election, come November 8th, 2025.
‘We are here today, Mr Governor, to thank you immensely for standing up to justice and the rule of law God bless you your Excellency,’ Orakwue stated.
While receiving them, Gov Chukwuma Soludo, represented by the Chief of Staff, Mr Ernest Ezeajughi, while reeling out the governor’s achievements across such sectors as education, roads, human capital development, health and environment, among others, described the local government as the bedrock of government, noting that if that sector was well, others would be well.
He charged the visiting NULGE members to take the achievements of the state government to the grassroots and proclaim them, adding that the government remained intentional about creating a livable and prosperous homeland for all.
