Osun State workers, yesterday, said they would resist any attempt to be intimidated by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, and his counterpart at the Ministry of Finance, Wale Edun.
They stated this following the seizure of the allocations meant for the state’s local councils, claiming that the government of the All Progressives Congress (APC) would have defaulted in paying their salaries if they were the government in power.
The workers, however, hailed the governor, Ademola Adeleke, for doing everything to ensure they got their salaries despite not getting the allocations meant for the payment of their salaries.
Leaders of the workers’ union, who spoke at a special welcome rally organised for the governor after his trip overseas for the wedding ceremony of a music star, David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, appealed to Fagbemi and Edun to release the withheld funds without further delay.
Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in the state, Abimbola Arapasopo, said they also gathered to reaffirm their endorsement for Adeleke’s second term and commend him for prioritising the welfare of the workers. Arapasopo gave the assurance that in the 2026 gubernatorial poll, the entire workforce in the state would vote massively for Adeleke. He said that the labour unions in the state would not be intimidated.
“We are here today to appreciate you for workers’ welfare. We want to tell them that this is where we stand as workers of Osun State. Come 2026, it is Imole. We will cast all our votes for you,” he said.
In his remark, President of the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) in the state, Nathaniel Ogungbangbe, hailed Adeleke for his strides in the state, especially as it relates to workers’ welfare, saying that his re-election victory is not in doubt.
Also, Chairman of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) in the state, Abimbola Fasasi, said that the governor deserves commendation for paying council workers their salaries despite the seizure of the allocations.
He called on members to get their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and vote overwhelmingly for the governor.Reacting, Adeleke promised that more dividends would be made available for the workers.
He, however, promised soft loans for civil servants in the state.
“I want to appreciate Osun workers for this show of love. You haven’t seen anything yet. Workers’ welfare is number one for my administration. I can assure you that the local council fund will come very soon. Also, very soon, Imole soft loan will come to you. Thanks for standing behind me,” Adeleke told the workers.