Strike: You're Not Prepared For Governance, Go Away, Ogun Workers Tell Abiodun

 

Dapo Abiodun

ABEOKUTA - Workers in Ogun State on Monday have lampooned the State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun for his failure to remit 21 months of salary deductions, nonpayment of eight years of statutory leave allowances, and breach of the State Pension Reform Law, 2006 (amended 2013) in the implementation of the Contributory Pension Scheme amongst other demands.

The workers said Governor Abiodun is clueless and bereft of ideas about governance, saying he should immediately vacate the office as the era of try and error is gone.

This is just as the organized labour in the State directed every civil servants to proceed on indefinite strike from Tuesday. 

The announcement follows the expiration of a seven-day ultimatum given to the state government. 

The labour leaders declared the strike at a rally jointly addressed by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), and Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) held at the Arcade ground of the governor's office in Abeokuta.

They maintained that there is no going back until all demands are met by Governor Dapo Abiodun-led government.

The strike which takes effect from midnight on Tuesday would affect ministries, agencies, hospitals, and public schools.

The union had last week given Governor Dapo Abiodun seven days to address their demands or face industrial action.

Their grievances were contained in a letter dated June 21 and addressed to Governor Abiodun.

The letter was jointly signed by the State Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Emmanuel Bankole; Chairman of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Akeem Lasisi and the Chairman of the Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC), Isa Olude.

The organized labour maintained that any civil servant who reports for duty tomorrow is a traitor.

Addressing the mammoth civil servants at the arcade ground, the NLC Chairman in Ogun State, Comrade Emmanuel Bankole said following the expiration of the ultimatum, the labor leaders agreed to embark on an indefinite strike.

The NLC Chairman said the government had failed to yield to labor’s several calls for negotiation.

Bankole said the indefinite strike action would allow the government a rethink and call for a dialogue over the industrial dispute.

"This state belongs to all of us. Government is a serious business and whoever that is not prepared for governance, I think this is the right time to tell him to go away."

“It is no longer news that workers in Ogun state are tensed up, restless, agitated because they are frustrated; all of which are ominous signs of the collapse of productivity.

"The leadership of the organized Labour is being inundated with the barrage of criticism, insults, attacks, and acrimonious comments from workers across the state.

"We were being accused of colluding with the Government to shortchange and betray our colleagues. You saw us as traitors, conspirators, enemies of workers but friends of Government. 

"I must tell you that on our part as the leadership, we were only trying to be partners in progress with the government but it now seems our decisions to be democratic and diplomatic are injurious to our integrity before you whose interest and welfare are the core reasons why we are in office.

"The failure of this government to fulfill its financial obligations towards us has pitched the leadership against you as we are fast losing your trust and confidence in us. Fortunately, the present leadership is peopled by men and women of proven integrity who would never sell out workers for a plate of porridge.

"The leadership has made several consultations with the government and we have consolidated the consultation by writing several letters, all to no avail. We have no other option but to use constitutional means through the declaration of a trade dispute.

"It is absurd to note that educated minds, like ours, in this 21st century still carry the notion that it is criminal for Union Leaders to interact with political office holders in areas that will do members much good. People are fast to cast aspersion and cook up stories and lies when in fact they have mischief at the back of their minds. Let us rise above mundane reasoning and raise the bar. If we don't represent ourselves, we stand the risk of being misrepresented.

"Anyone who reports for duty tomorrow (Tuesday) is a traitor and it has never been well with a traitor,” Bankole said.