May Day: Governors assure workers on welfare

From Magnus Eze, Abuja, Oluseye Ojo, Ibadan, Judex Okoro, Calabar, Tony Osauzo, Benin and Perpetua Egesimba

As Nigeria joins the rest of the world to mark Workers’ Day today, Oyo State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi has promised to clear the four-month salary arrears owed workers in the State.

The governor made the promise in a congratulatory message to the workers yesterday, on the occasion of this year’s Workers’ Day.

Ajimobi urged the workers to continue to put in their very best and key into the state government’s reform agenda aimed at enhancing productivity and ultimately the internally generated revenue.

Ondo State Governor, Mr. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN) hailed the resilience of workers in the state in the face of the tough economic challenges in the country as commendable.  He restated the commitment of his administration to the welfare of workers in the state.

Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki also  assured on his administration’s commitment towards enhancing the welfare of workers and the people of the State.  

In Cross River State, workers yesterday evening received alerts of payment of their salaries for the month of May.

The payment came a day earlier than last year’s when the state governor, Senator Ben Ayade ordered payment of May salary on the first day of May. Regardless, a former Deputy Governor of Osun State, Senator Iyiola Omisore has lauded Nigerian workers for their immense contributions to the development of the country. He said “despite the unsavoury situations many of them have had to endure in recent times as a result of the nation’s current  economic turbulence.”

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Ibadan Chapter, Dr. Deji Omole, has told President Muhammadu Buhari that lecturers in Nigerian universities are suffering.  He warned that if the situation is not urgently addressed with adequate funding of tertiary institutions in the country, Nigeria may suffer another brain drain.

The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) also lamented the deteriorating state of infrastructures in public health institutions across the country and called on governments at all levels to place premium on developing the sector.

Besides, the association called on the federal government to rescind its decision of planning to harmonise salaries of health workers in the country. Regardless, the Director General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Dr. Garba Abari has tasked Nigerian workers to look beyond the march past ritual of May Day and reflect on their role as major stakeholders in pulling the country out of economic recession. He reasoned that productivity was very critical to economic development, especially at this period of economic crunch; requiring creative initiatives and conscientiousness.

 Meanwhile, the United Action for Democracy (UAD) has directed all it’s Zonal and State branches to begin mass mobilisation of their neighborhoods, communities, towns and cities for a protest in demand for payment of worker’s salaries.

Convener of UAD, Gabriel Ojumah and General Secretary of the party, Kunle Wizeman Ajayi, in a press conference in Lagos on Friday, said the three labour centres in the country, the Nigerian Labour Congress, Trade Union Congress and the United Labour Congress should shed their differences and build a united front of Nigerian workers against the onslaught of attacks on their living conditions.

The party said in order to provide a striking example to the labour movement, they are declaring May 1, 2017, “a national day of action for living wages, decent jobs, housing for all and fully funded education.”

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