Workers in Ekiti State under the aegis of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) have given conditions for their votes to any of the candidates in the July 14th governorship election in the state.

The workers who bared their minds at an interactive session with candidates of the various political parties in the election, in Ado Ekiti, spoke through the chairman of NLC in the state, Comrade Ade Adesanmi, and demanded that the candidates must accept to pay the salaries and emoluments of workers before they could get their support.

The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the election, Professor Kolapo Olubunmi Olusola, who was at the interactive session, was told to undertake that he must accept to pay the arrears of workers’ salaries within three months of assumption of office as governor.

The Ekiti NLC boss who also said that the workers would only vote somebody who is ready to make workers salaries a priority added that should Olusola becomes governor and the backlog of workers gratuity has not been paid, the workers would only give him six months after being sworn in, to pay the money.

The workers held that that was the condition for which the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) standard-bearer, who was at the event, Professor Kolapo Olusola would get the votes of the members they claimed was in the region of over 50,000.

Adesanmi noted that the workers had been the stabilising factor for the current administration, but lamented that since the creation of Ekiti State, workers never had a say in the way there were being governed, saying this was why the labour union has decided to demand what candidates have for workers.

The NLC chairman said: “We are the hen that is laying the golden egg. We want to take our destiny into our own hands and be involved in the way we are governed. Ekiti workers have been the most understanding, despite not being paid salaries as at when due, we still do what we are supposed to do.

“We will give you three months, that is peradventure the backlogs of salaries have not been paid before the termination date of this administration and you become the governor, you must pay us our money.”

Speaking on the occasion, Professor Olusola promised to run workers friendly government, saying his government would be one where they will be part of formulation and implementation of every policy of the government.

Olusola emphasised merit, geography and gender balance as key in his envisaged employment and promotion of workers.

The PDP candidate said it was “not realistic to promise” that workers would get the backlog of their salaries before July 14 election, but said if the Paris club refund is paid and the two months budget supports being owed the state was paid, the state would “be in better position to defray substantial portion of the areas.”
Olusola said his manifesto, the SHIELD Agenda’ would be implemented religiously and bring further dividend of democracy to the people.

He highlighted the areas of infrastructure, health, agriculture, social welfare, tourism and public service as the high point of his administration’s priority if voted into office.

He said that as a lecturer in the university, he had always been a unionist having been actively involved in the struggle for a better university system by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

He unveiled his 10-point pact with workers which he said would help to create enabling environment for them and also pave the way for industrial harmony between workers and government. (Tribune)

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