…Workers Jubilate, Labour Commends Gov
By Wole Adedeji, Ilorin
The Kwara State government has annonunced the implementation of the much-talked about N30,000 minimum wage to its workers.
Consequently, the organised labour is commending the governor, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for the impelmentation.
Governors across the country had not been in the good books of their workers for refusing to implement the statutory National Minimum Wage Act since 2016, including the states believed to haul fat monthly federal fiscal allocations, running into billions of naira every month.
Radio airwaves in Ilorin, the state capital on Monday were awash with the news of public service workers jubilanting across Kwara State, after they were said to discover in their January salary bank alerts, reflecting increments according to their different categories.
Teachers in the state had last month received letters of their promotions, said to be in arrears of several years, which the previous administrations allegedly ignored with impunity
The minimum wage implementations attracted much jubilations and labour leaders in the state promptly acknowledged the gesture, descrining AbdulRazaq as “the people’s governor.”
Secretary of the State Joint Negotiating Council, JNC, Comrade Tunde Meshach Joseph, in a statement on behalf of other trade unions said that the governor deserves a pat on the back.
He stated that “Kwara State organised labour, under the auspices of TUC, NLC and the JNC, wishes to use this medium to thank the Kwara State government, under the leadership of His Excellency, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, our amiable, ebullient and dedicated governor, for this noble achievement in this period of economic and financial exigencies affecting all section of human endeavors.”
He thanked the entire work force in the state for their perseverance, loyalty, support and prayers through the years that they had suffered neglect under the past regimes saying, “We say thank you.”
Joseph added, “To all the government representatives that had one way or the other participated at the negotiation processes, the labour leaders and the elders forum, we appreciate you all.”
Footages of jubilant civil servants that went viral, particularly in Ilorin, the state capital, among which was that of the Principal of Okelele Senior Secondary School; Mr Albarika Akanbi, who said that the gesture of the governor was a first in the state and should be commended by all, asking his students to clap for the governor.
He said, “I want you to clap for the Kwara State governor, he has done very well for the civil servants in Kwara State. We need to appreciate him. It has never been good like this in Kwara State, when a governor will promise and will fulfill it in a better way.
“When you get home, tell your parents that I said they should clap for Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq. We don’t know what he wants to become, but we pray God will grant his heart desires. We are not in a political rally, but when somebody does something very good, we need to appreciate it.”
He also commended the governor for the various school renewal projects his administration was carrying out saying, “It was unprecedented.”
