Don’t bring workers into LG election politics ―Osun unions warn

THE leadership of the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, Trade Union Congress, TUC and Joint Negotiating Council, JNC of the state of Osun has condemned in totality the unpatriotic conduct of a court process initiated by certain politicians without conscience challenging the Osun state government at the Federal High court Abuja with the suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/1091/2017.

In a press statement jointly signed by the trio of Comrade Bayo Adejumo, Comrade Jacob Adekomi and Comrade Adekola Adebowale of JNC, NLC and TUC respectively said the sole aim of the selfish plaintiff who are believed to be a member of the opposition party in the state is to get a judicial pronouncement ordering statutory federal government agencies to withhold the statutory allocation and funds to all the local government in the state of Osun through the Federal Ministry of Finance over the creation of LCDAs and area offices by the state government.

“On this ugly and sad development, we wish to state categorically and unequivocally that we are going to use all means legally available to resist any calculated attempt to strangulate local government administration for political scores, for the records, the ex-parte motion requested by the elements as contained in Order 1 and 4 respectively, says the first order of interim injunction restraining all the defendants particularly the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th defendants from releasing any money to the LCDAs purportedly created by the 7th defendant, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice while the 4th order of interim injunction directing the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th defendants to a warehouse in an interest yielding account, all the monies and or allocations belonging to the distorted 30 constitutionally recognized local governments in Osun state, pending the determination of the motion on notice,” the statement reads.

The labour leaders further revealed that the simple inference deduced from the proponents of these dastardly wicked beings on these grave procedural processes is that all cadres of workers and retiree in all the local governments and LCDAs will not be able to access or collect their salaries forthwith. This will definitely lead to a total shut down of operational and economic administration at all levels of the local government ranging from primary schools and primary healthcare centres. It must be stated that those behind this ploy have once again demonstrated their nonchalant attitude towards the plight and welfare of the defenceless and peace-loving workers of the state of Osun, they said.

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They advised persons or group of people fighting against developmental programmes and policies of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola to stop dragging the ranks and files of the workers into the ongoing political tussle towards the forthcoming local government election.

“We shall remain resolute in our firm belief and conviction to continuously support the genuine quest by this present Aregbesola administration to develop the state, as such, we shall not be silent on our stand to continue to fight relentlessly for an all-round improved welfare package for all workers in the state of Osun, with the determined proposition that all outstanding salaries arising from the modulated structure will be paid in due course, this we shall pursue to a logical.”