By joshua ‘NO VACANCY IN 2027’: HOW GOV. ODODO’S LABOUR FRIENDLY POLICIES, EDOKA’S ADVOCACY REDEFINED WORKERS’ WELFARE IN KOGI
By Abu Micheal
When Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo rolled out brand new buses for the leadership of the Nigerian Labour Congress, Trade Union Congress and the Joint Negotiating Council in Kogi State in the last few days, it was more than a gesture. For workers across the 21 LGAs, it was the latest proof that labour matters in this administration, and that the man at the helm understands that the strength of government is measured by the welfare of its workforce.
Since assuming office, Governor Ododo has deliberately positioned workers at the center of governance. The jinx of salary delays that once defined public service in the state has been broken. Salaries are now paid promptly and consistently at both state and local government levels. For local government workers who for years endured percentage payments, the shift to full payment has restored dignity to the job and confidence in government. The administration also sustained the payment of the N72,000 new minimum wage to state and local government workers, making Kogi one of the early states to fully domesticate the wage without drama or deduction.
Beyond wages, the Governor put an end to the era of unpaid leave bonuses and stalled increments. For over a decade, many workers had written off leave bonuses as a mirage. Today, both state and local government workers receive them as and when due. The same goes for annual increments that had been trapped in bureaucratic limbo. In addition, the Ododo administration extended access to the Kogi State Health Insurance Scheme to workers across the board. For the first time in a long while, a teacher in Ankpa, a nurse in Kabba, or a council worker in Dekina can walk into a hospital and receive care without being crushed by out-of-pocket expenses. That single policy has changed the conversation in homes and markets across the state.
These gains did not happen by accident. At the heart of the labour story in the Ododo government is Comrade Onuh Edoka, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Labour Matters. A two-term former Chairman of the NLC in Kogi, Comrade Edoka came into office with deep institutional memory of workers’ struggles and the trust of the rank and file. Before the 2023 election, he was one of the loudest and most credible voices that rallied organized labour behind the candidacy of Ahmed Ododo. He went from one council to another, from one union secretariat to another, making the case that a worker-friendly government was possible and that Ododo was the man to deliver it. That early mobilization has paid off in governance.
In office, Comrade Edoka has functioned as both a bridge and a watchdog. He brought into the administration other tested labour voices such as Comrade Tade Adeyemi, former TUC Chairman, and other former union leaders, ensuring that workers’ perspectives are reflected in policy before decisions are taken. It is this structure that has helped the government avoid the pitfalls of miscommunication and mistrust that often derail industrial harmony. When issues arise, there is a direct line to the Governor, and when policies are rolled out, they carry the imprint of those who understand the workplace.
The results are visible. The prompt payment of salaries has stabilized households. The implementation of the N72,000 minimum wage has increased purchasing power. The payment of leave bonuses and increments has restored morale. The health insurance coverage has reduced the burden of medical bills. The harmonization of Pension remains a watershed after over two decades that it was not implemented. And the donation of operational vehicles to NLC, TUC and JNC has strengthened the capacity of labour leadership to coordinate, mobilize and engage government on behalf of members. Each of these steps has been reported and acknowledged in labour circles and in the media as part of the Ododo administration’s early scorecard.
What makes workers even more confident is the sense of continuity. They say they have seen a government that listens and delivers, and they are not ready to gamble in 2027. In union meetings, in markets, and in council secretariats, the refrain is now common: there is no vacancy in Lugard House. For them, Governor Ododo has earned a second term not with promises, but with payslips that arrive on time, with bonuses that are paid, with health cards that work, and with a Special Adviser who understands their language.
Comrade Edoka himself has continued to remind workers that the partnership must be protected. He argues that the progress made in less than three years must be consolidated, and that only a government that has proven its commitment to labour should be trusted with another mandate. That message, delivered with the moral authority of a former NLC Chairman, resonates because it is backed by evidence.
Today, Kogi workers are not singing different tunes. From the classroom to the clinic, from the local government to the state secretariat, the story is the same. Salaries are paid. Welfare is prioritized. Voices are heard. And at the center of it all is a Governor who chose to treat labour as partners in development, and an adviser who turned decades of union experience into a governance asset.
As 2027 approaches, the verdict in Kogi is already taking shape. For the workforce, the choice is clear. They are backing the continuity of a government that has kept faith with them, and the leadership of a man who, with Comrade Onuh Edoka’s counsel, has made workers’ welfare the signature of his administration.