…. a win for Ododo/Joel means labour has taken over Kogi State – Comr. Edoka
21 State Labour Unions in Kogi State have resolved to work for the victory of the All Progressives Congress APC Governorship Candidate in the forthcoming November 11 Governorship election.
The Union leadership hinged their resolve to work for the interest of the APC candidate in view of the fact that as State workers they have gotten all the attention as regarding their salaries, as they have no reason not to support the APC Governorship Candidates.
The Union pointed out that as former workers and labour leaders, the combination of Alhaji Usman Ahmed Ododo and Comr. Joel Salifu Oyibo have thus far have acquired the necessary experience needed to protect the interest of workers if elected.
The Union leaders and their Members gave their resolve to work for the APC Candidates after an address by Comr. Onuh Edoka, who doubles as State Chairman, Steering Committee, Ododo/Joel Labour Support Group.
Earlier in an address to the leadership of the Unions, Comr. Onuh Edoka, State Chairman, Steering Committee, Ododo/Joel Labour Support Group, for Comr. Alhaji Ododo Ahmed Usman and Comr. Joel Salifu Oyibo said the mobilization tour organized to meet with the Labour leaders was an idea for the labour movement to have a voice and place in Governance.
The immediate past NLC Chairman described the emergence of Alhaji Ododo and Comr Joel as history made in the State for workers to emerge as Governorship and Deputy Governorship Candidates in the State.
” The Ododo/Joel ticket will lead Kogi workers out of the challenges faced in the past years by successive administration’s”.
” If this mandate is realized it would no doubt wipe away and clean the tears of workers having been workers and labour leaders”.
” A win for Ododo/Joel means labour have taken over Kogi State. It is time for Labour and Civil Servants to support their own. Politics is about interest. Labour and workers welfare should be the paramount interest in the forthcoming election”.
” Alhaji Ododo is a former staff of Electricity workers, served as an Executive of NUEE in Niger State. Comr. Joel was a classroom teacher, State Treasurer of NLC and immidiate past Chairman of NUT. To have been picked as Candidates of the APC, the interest of workers and labour would no doubt be promoted and protected if elected as Governor and Deputy respectively”.
Comr. Edoka who was the immediate past Chairman, Nigerian Labour Congress, Kogi State Council, said the Mobilization Tour of the SAC/SEC of the Trade Unions (Organized Labour in Kogi State) became necessary for the labour movement to have a voice when the next Government is formed.
” The Ododo Joel support group is a platform established to market the APC Candidates who are product of the workers and labour movement. The need for labour to have a sense of belonging in the coming Governorship election has become expedient”.
” My appeal to workers in the State is not to follow the crowd. They should own the aspiration by giving them the needed support. They APC Candidates have been privileged to emerged from amongst the working class. I can assure you that they will disappoint workers”.
Comr. Edoka urged the Union leaders to mobilize their members towards participating in the choice of who becomes and forms the next government, said the reason for the support group is to promote the agenda of workers, their interest and their welfare.
While pointing out that following the Supreme Court ruling that workers to belong to political parties, said it is the intention of the Support group to also present a Charter of demand for the next government arising from the mobilization.
” This Support group is a platform to solicit for vote for the APC Governorship Candidates. We are also going to use it also to draw up a charter of demand to be presented to Ododo/Joel joint ticket”.
” Having former workers and labour leaders in government would always provide platforms for workers to agitate and make demand as well as discuss policy’s without necessarily having it forced down the throat of labour and workers”.
Comr. Edoka urged the labour leaders to help use the opportunity of the support group to promote, market and campaign for Ododo/Joel ticket, assuring that their emergence would better the interest of workers, particularly that they are coming from the system, they will be concerned about workers welfare.
Comr. Edoka urged for massive support for the APC Governorship Candidates, pointing out that ” any Government formed outside Ododo/Joel will want to learn the ropes, know what the wage bill is, want to screen workers to ascertain the wage bill”, expressed assurances that under Ododo/Joel, there will no longer be screening of workers because they have been part of the last processes.
The former NLC Chairman and Steering Committee Chairman said the time has come for Labour and Civil Servants to join forces in determining who sits on the driving force of leadership in the State, adding that for the force to be recognized, labour and workers should support the APC Governorship Candidates, urged that they support their own.
21 Unions from with the State attended the meeting. As part of the mobilization, the Ododo Joel Labour Support Group is expected to in the first instance interface with 600 person from various Unions.