By Christy Emeka
The President of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Comrade Charles Okey Okere, has been honoured with an Award of Excellent Leadership by the Imo State Federated Chapel Association of Local Government Information Officers.
This took place on Thursday at Rockview Hotel in Owerri during the 2nd Edition of the Annual Seminar for Local Government Information Officers and the Maiden Edition of the Annual Local Government performance Award
Speaking during an interactive session with newsmen, Okere who expressed joy over the award pointed out that he has continued to enjoy unprecedented support since he assumed office as NULGE president, a development he described as encouraging and reflective of renewed confidence in the union’s leadership.
“I feel good, and I’ve been feeling good since I assumed the mantle of leadership of NULGE. I have enjoyed the kind of support none of my predecessors ever had since the inception of the union,” he said.
While acknowledging the current socio-economic challenges facing the nation, the NULGE boss maintained that local governments are “gradually evolving strong” and are becoming “bigger, better, and bolder” in addressing their challenges rather than shying away from them.
Okere particularly commended the local government information officers for their renewed sense of duty and professionalism, noting that they have proven their competence beyond expectations.
“For the first time, local government information officers have come up and are living up to their responsibilities. In the past, we had officers posted from the state civil service to do this job, but today, our own officers have shown that they are capable and have all it takes to handle information management at the grassroots,” he stated.
He emphasized that the local government system remains the bedrock of governance in Nigeria, stressing that it is not a lesser arm but one made up of competent professionals and bureaucrats.
“At the local government level today, you find professionals — people with PhDs in various fields, lawyers, journalists, and administrators. We are not the least qualified; in fact, we are top-notch,” Okere asserted.
He lauded the growing strength and organization of the local government correspondents’ chapel, noting that the development further underscores the vibrancy and relevance of grassroots communication in governance.
According to him, with the dedication of local government information officers and the professionalism within the system, the future of effective grassroots governance looks increasingly promising.
Other executive of the association, the State Treasurer, Uwama Kingsley Chukwuemeka, among others also received awards of honour.
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