Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq of Kwara State on Monday said the administration will continue to prioritise the welfare of workers and protect the interest of labour unions in the state.
He however, acknowledged the labour unions support before and during the last general elections.
Speaking at the May Day Celebration in Ilorin, the state capital, the Governor congratulated the Nigerian workers and labour leaders on the celebration of May Day, a day Abdulrazaq posits is “grounded in the progressive and noble values of the global workforce, including in Nigeria.
“Great workers, this administration is your own and it will always be your own. We owe our recent election victory to God Almighty, to you the great workers and to all of the people of our state who stood for the collective aspirations to place Kwara on a path of steady, inclusive growth and collective prosperity that we represent.
“I thank you very much. I reassure you that we will not drop the ball. We will continue to prioritise your welfare while also creating an environment for collective growth,” he said.
The Governor attended the event alongside Deputy Governor Kayode Alabi; Head of Service Susan Modupe Oluwole; cabinet members; and Commissioner of Police Paul Odama; Director General of the Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies Issa Aremu (mni).
Several serving and former labour leaders also attended the celebration.
Abdulrazaq pledged to maximise the gains of the last four years through implementation of various programmes and policies, saying the workers would always be needed for the success of such steps.
“Our agenda is to consolidate on the successes of the last four years through continuous infrastructural renewal, easing of the business climate, expansion of our economic base through support for macro and microeconomic activities, especially small and medium scale enterprises, general industrial growth, growing internal revenue, improving the regime of transparency and accountability, agricultural development, combating environmental and climate crisis such as flooding, and strengthening rule of law, peace and security in the state. We cannot do this without the support of workers.
“I acknowledge the fact that trade unions are important pillars of any democratic society. You are always key to the wider struggles for universal human rights and welfare of your members. Kwara State is known for industrial harmony and we will do our best to keep it that way within the resources available to us. Let us keep being friends and allies in our collective drive for a better Kwara.
“I am similarly appealing to the Labour unions across Nigeria to work for a seamless transition of government following the recent election cycle from which different political parties have been pronounced winners of different offices. I am not just asking you to support our government in Kwara; I am especially enjoining you to give your full support to the President-elect Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he declared.
In his submission, Muritala Saheed Olayinka, the state NLC Chairman, commended the Governor for giving the welfare of workers and pensioners a top priority, including prompt payment of workers’ salaries and their promotion as and when due.
He saluted the entire workforce for working tirelessly in creating the wealth of the state, acknowledging the important roles the labour movement is playing to strengthen the local economy.
Olayinka requested the government to urgently address pending issues concerning workers’ welfare across different subsectors of the economy.
Similarly State TUC Chairman, Joseph Tunde, acknowledged Abdulrazaq’s giant strides in infrastructure development and workers’ welfare, and tasked the Governor to do more in the new dispensation.