Labour Protest: Obaseki Promises the Poor 500m, Makinde, Others Silence

Every Nigerian States depends on the Federal Government at the current hit of economic hardships, mostly triggered with the subsidy removed on the price of Premium Motor Spirit (fuel). At least, to some extent all the Nigerian States seem to lower their guards, waiting for the decision of the FG before taking necessary steps for the welfare of their citizens and workers who are demanding palliatives, upward review of pension allowances, payment of salary deductions, among others through a massive protest. But the public cannot wait.

 

On Monday, a protest occupied by the members of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) and their affiliates, locked up Oyo Governor’s Secretariat in Agodi, Ibadan.

 

The workers demand palliatives, upward review of pension allowances and refund of monies deducted from their salaries in the past.

 

They also demanded payment of leave bonuses, payment of gratuities to retirees and release of promotion letters for the Years 2021 and 2022.

 

The protest made vehicular movement uneasy around the governor’s office.

 

At the protest ground, the chairperson of TUC, Bosun Olabiyi, listed their grouses to include the failure of the government to remit deductions from their salaries for cooperatives, and other statutory commitments, among other concerns in the face of current economic hardship caused by fuel subsidy removal necessitated their action.

 

In all this, the governor was silent but the government reacted through its State’s Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Dotun Oyelade.

 

In its reaction, the state government requested dialogue on the salary issue with the leadership of the NLC in the state while correcting that the government only owed three months’ deductions and not six months.

 

The NLC chairman in the state, Kayode Martins, had also said the labour union protest was organised because the union had been misrepresented in its dialogue with the government, hence the need to have an understanding with the governor in person to resolve their agitations.

 

Protest rocks other States like Lagos and Kaduna, while there are other States labour unions already planning to launch their protest, soon.

 

The Oyo State Labour Union continues its protest from Monday to Wednesday and still firmly remains that it will extend the protest until it speaks with the Governor. But the Governor Makinde doesn’t seem to have their time, now.

 

In Edo State, Labour Union gathered again to express their grievances over the current hardships in the state and the country.

 

At a glance, Governor Obaseki came out to see the protesters, had a dialogue with them and promised the poor a sum of N500m without waiting for any external influence or FG.

 

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