Oyo workers, Osun civil societies protest, demand palliatives

Govt seeks dialogue, urges workers to resume duties

Oyo State workers, yesterday, locked the state secretariat in Ibadan to demand palliatives, upward review of pension allowances and payment of salary deductions.

The civil servants and pensioners, under the banners of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) and their affiliates, led by their union leaders, are also demanding payment of leave bonuses, gratuities to retirees since 2021 and release of promotion letters for 2021 and 2022.

The state’s NLC Chairman, Olusegun Martins, said aside from their demands, they needed to bridge the communication gap that has often resulted in misunderstandings and misquotations within the government. He said the protest might continue tomorrow (today) if their requests were not met. Martins added that once their concerns are addressed by the governor, the state workers would promptly resume duties.

In his remarks, Chairman of TUC, Bosun Olabiyi, said failure of the government to remit deductions from their salaries for cooperatives, and other statutory commitments, among others, brought about the protest. He said various attempts to dialogue with the governor had been unfruitful, saying the state government had continued to abuse the rules of engagement.

MEANWHILE, the Oyo State Government has urged the NLC to discuss the issue of salary deductions exhaustively before embarking on any form of protest. In a statement by the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Dotun Oyelade, the state government said it only owed workers three months and not six months.

Oyelade said the NLC had over the years supported the administration for its good governance, but asked it to reflect on the disposition of government to workers’ welfare. He urged workers to resume at their duty posts and continue their work.

SIMILARLY, Osun Civil Societies Coalition, yesterday, staged a peaceful protest over removal of fuel subsidy. The protest, held in Osogbo, Osun State capital, was led by Chairman of the Coalition, Waheed Lawal.

The protesters, who carried banners and placards, condemning the suffering of the masses as a result of fuel subsidy removal by the Federal Government, demanded urgent solutions to address the challenges.

They bemoaned the economic hardship, commercialisation of education, non-provision of palliatives, fuel subsidy removal, hike in electricity tariff and growing insecurity.

Lawal, who spoke during the protest, described the Federal Government’s attitude as inhuman, callous and wicked. He urged the concerned authorities to speedily come to the aid of the suffering masses.