By Musa Tanimu Nasidi
21 Organised Labour Unions in Kogi State have resolved to work for the victory of the All Progressives Congress APC Governorship Candidate,Ahmed Usman Ododo and his running mate Salifu Joel Oyibo in the November forthcoming Governorship election.
Addressing representatives of 21 organised labour unions in an interactive meeting in Lokoja on Monday, Chairman of Ododo/Joel Labour Group Steering Committee and former Chairman of Kogi State NLC,Comrade Onuh Udoka called on the members to support the Ododo/Joel ticket which he described as the best thing that ever happened to the Labour union in the state.
He said the mobilization tour organized to meet with the Labour leaders was an idea for the labour movement to have a voice and place in Governance.
The former NLC Chairman described the emergence of Alhaji Ododo and Comrade Joel as history made in the State for workers to emerge as Governorship and Deputy Governorship Candidates in the State.
He expressed optimism that the Ododo/Joel ticket will lead Kogi workers out of the challenges faced in the past years by successive administration’s, said it is a mandate that if realized would no doubt wipe away and clean the tears of workers have been workers and labour leaders.
According to Edoka a win for Ododo/Joel means labour has taken over Kogi State, said it is time for Labour and Civil Servants support their own, insisting that politics is about interest, stressed that labour and workers welfare should be the paramount interest in the forthcoming election.
He disclosed further that Alhaji Ododo as a former staff of Electricity workers, served as an Executive of NUEE in Niger State and Comr. Joel who was a classroom teacher, was State Treasurer of NLC and immidiate past Chairman of NUT to have been picked as Candidates of the APC, expressed optimism that the interest of workers and labour would no doubt be promoted and protected if elected as Governor and Deputy respectively.
While he urge workers in the State not to follow the crowd, rather said they should own the aspiration by giving them the needed support, having been privileged to have emerged from amongst the working class, said they will disappoint workers.
Comr. Edoka urged the Union leaders to mobilize their members towards participating in the choice of who becomes and forms the next government, said the reason for the support group is to promote the agenda of workers, their interest and their welfare.
While pointing out that following the Supreme Court ruling that workers to belong to political parties, said it is the intention of the Support group to also present a Charter of demand for the next government arising from the mobilization.
While explaining that the Support group is using the platform to solicit for vote for the APC Governorship Candidates, said it has also drawn up a charter of demand to be presented to Ododo/Joel joint ticket.
The Support group notes that having former workers and labour leaders in government would always provide platforms to agitate and make demand as well as discuss policy’s without necessarily having it forced down the throat of labour and workers.
He appealed to labour leaders to help use the opportunity to promote, market and campaign for Ododo/Joel ticket, assuring that their emergence would better the interest of workers, particularly that they are coming from the system, will be concerned about workers welfare.
He urged for massive support for the APC Governorship Candidates, pointing out that any Government formed outside Ododo/Joel will want to learn the ropes, know what the wage bill is, want to screen worker to ascertain the wage bill, expressed assurances that under Ododo/Joel, there will no longer be screening of workers because they have been part of the last processes.
The Steering Committee Chairman said the time has come for Labour and Civil Servants to join forces in determining who sits on the driving force of leadership in the State, adding that for the force to be recognized, labour and workers should support the APC Governorship Candidates, urged that they support their own.
In their communique, the Union leadership hinged their resolve to work for the interest of the APC candidate in view of the fact that as State workers they have gotten all the attention as regarding their salaries, as they have no reason not to support the APC Governorship Candidates.
They pointed out that as former workers and labour leaders, the combination of Alhaji Usman Ahmed Ododo and Comr. Joel Salifu Oyibo have thus far acquired the necessary experience needed to protect the interest of workers if elected.
They maintained further that the leaders and their Members gave their resolve to work for the APC Candidates after an address by Comr. Onuh Edoka, who doubles as State Chairman, Steering Committee, Ododo/Joel Labour Support Group.
Comr. Edoka described the Ododo Joel support group as a platform established to market the APC Candidates who are product of the workers and labour movement, said the need for labour to have a sense of belonging in the coming Governorship election has become expedient.
21 Unions from with the State attended the meeting. As part of the mobilization, the Ododo Joel Labour Support Group is expected to in the first instance interface with 600 person from various Unions.
