Owerri — THE industrial action embarked upon by the Imo State branch of National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) has been suspended. The suspension was the outcome of the dialogue between state NULGE executives and the state government delegation led by the Deputy Governor, Mrs. Ada Okwuonu.

Briefing newsmen at the end of the two-hour dialogue, the State NULGE Chairman, Comrade Linus Nwajere, expressed satisfaction with "the fruitful deliberation".

In his view, "both parties have agreed to immediately unlock local councils that had been under lock and key, for effective office work to commence". He added that "the redeployment of local government Directors of Administration and General Services (DAGS) was reverted".

He also explained that government would, within the next one week, meet with NULGE executives to deliberate on some contentious issues that are yet unresolved in the interest of the two parties.

Nwajere directed all the local council workers to resume work immediately, while promising that the Union would continue to dialogue with government.

Explaining why government redeployed the local government DAGS, the Deputy Governor said it was part of the administration's effort to sanitize the local council system.