Ahead of the 2023 governorship election in Oyo State, the Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in the State, Mr. Martins Kayode, has declared that the re-election bid of Governor Seyi Makinde is a project of the entire workers of the State.

According to Kayode, the Makinde government had done so much for workers and the entire citizens of the State, such that all labour leaders in the State were in alliance with and rooting for Makinde’s second term bid.

Martins made this declaration when leaders of the NLC and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and their affiliates paid a courtesy call on Governor Seyi Makinde at the State secretariat, Ibadan, on Wednesday.

According to Martins, workers of the State identified with Makinde winning a second term in office and even wished for a constitutional amendment that would allow continuity after eight years in office.

He added that the support of the NLC for Makinde was because workers are having a good time with the Makinde government compared to past times, and would not want a return to what he described as the “bad old days.”

Martins said: “We are grateful for what the Makinde government has done for workers and for the entire citizens of Oyo State. You have done much and you have become someone everybody in the State wants to identify with.

“Workers do not belong to any political parties but we are rooting for Seyi Makinde. With how well you are treating workers, you already have a good name and we must manage it.

“Governor Seyi Makinde is our project. We don’t want to go back to the bad old days. We love Makinde and this is beyond politics. All labour leaders in Oyo State are in alliance on this project.

“If it is possible, we will advocate an amendment to the constitution to allow for continuity after eight years. We do not want a return to the bad old days. We have tested various families and know the difference. We have tested and interacted with candidates from different parties and we know the difference.

“NLC registered the Labour Party and we were charged to champion the cause of the Labour Party in our various States. But, I told them that if we have a State where the governor is doing well, shouldn’t he be supported and they agreed that Seyi Makinde is doing well.”

In his own remarks, the Chairman, Oyo State Chapter of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Mr Bosun Olabiyi said the good works of Governor Seyi Makinde will speak for him in the forthcoming governorship election.

Drawing from biblical inferences, Olabiyi said the TUC will not “Nicodemusly” but “Zacchaeusly” climb atop the tree to promote Makinde.

While appreciating the Makinde government for the prompt payment of salaries, Olabiyi asked Makinde not to hesitate to address the union’s other concerns, which he failed to state.

Olabiyi said: “The general outlook there is that we have a very good governor. He is paying salaries which is a duty he should do. People have tested two sides and have seen the difference.

“Your good work will speak for you at the right time when people will have to do what they need to do. I want to promise that both the TUC and NLC will not be following ‘Nicodemusly’, we are going to do it ‘Zacchaeusly.’ We will go on top of the tree and everybody will know what we are doing.”

Also speaking, Secretary, Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), Oyo State chapter, Mr. Olusegun Abatan praised the Makinde government for prompt payment of pensions.

He said it was remarkable that Makinde is the only governor in Oyo State history that has not experienced street protests from the pensioners.

Abatan, however, asked the State government to look into the fact that the amount paid as a pension has remained stagnant since the year 2007.

He admonished the Makinde government to consider an increase in the amount paid as pension just as the government considers an increase in salary.

Responding, Governor Seyi Makinde said the posture of his government is to be proactive in attending to the needs of the various labour unions before they take the dimension of industrial action.

He sought the cooperation of the state’s workers in the desire of his administration to ensure that Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) is enough to cover the state’s recurrent expenditure.

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