Nigeria Content Online

The leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC)
in Oyo State has called for the prompt implementation of the new
minimum wage recently approved by the federal government.

The newly elected state chairman of the congress,
Bashiru Olanrewaju, made the request at the governor’s office in Agodi,
Ibadan, on Thursday, when he led other members of the new executive on
a courtesy call to Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala.

Other members of the executive in his entourage were
Ayobami Ajayi (vice chairman), Mrs. Agbaje (vice chairman), Edema
Olorunwa (secretary), Elijah Oluleye (auditor), Eniola Kolawole
(auditor), Mr. Adisa (ex-officio), and Modupeoluwa Arinola (ex-officio).

Mr. Olanrewaju praised the governor for offering to
pay the minimum wage of N18,000 to the state’s civil service. He
informed Mr. Alao-Akala that the state’s workforce shares his vision,
describing him as a worker-friendly executive.

According to him, the governor has worked to ensure
that development is spread evenly across the state during his first
term, particularly in the areas of road network development and
improved healthcare facilities.

The NLC boss also sought the governor’s intervention
to unify the labour unions in his domain, stressing that the effort
would benefit the workers and the government, and increase development
in the state.

A positive response

In his reaction, the governor, who congratulated the
new NLC executive, calling Mr. Olanrewaju a good crisis manager, hoped
that he would be able to achieve the needed unity among the unions in
the congress.

Mr. Alao-Akala said the new minimum wage has become a
law, which his government is willing to implement. He said his
government is always ready to attend to the welfare of its workers, but
offered that it could only act within the limit of its resources.

The governor then counseled the workers against
resorting unnecessarily to strikes every time they want the government
to fulfil their demands.