Tade Oludayo, Ibadan
Few days after they held parallel congresses which ushered in Comrade Waheed Olojede and Comrade Sulaimon Odumuyiwa as new Oyo state chairmen ‎of the union, the workers in the state again on Friday staged parallel workers’ day rally in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital.
While Olojede faction held its congress inside Lekan Salami Stadium, the Odumuyiwa faction held their own May day with a symposium at the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) state headquarters building, Apata.
Odumuyiwa’s faction’s symposium was well attended with two former state chairmen Comrade Ibrahim Bolomope and Alamu Oloyede in attendance.
Comrade Odumuyiwa assured the workers of adequate protection of their rights and admonished them to continue to toe the path of honour in conduct and be good ambassadors of the labour unions wherever they find themselves.
Similarly, the Olojede faction appealed to the State Government to ensure quick resolution of the three months workers’ salary arrears in the state.
Olojede said the new leadership of the state workforce under his administration would partner with the state government to move the state forward, adding that, “We will engage government in a round-table at resolving the workers’ salary arrears because a happy worker is he or she that produces,” he said.
He urged Nigerians to accept the struggle of building the nation as a collective project, saying they are all under the responsibility of moving the nation forward.
In his response, Governor Ajimobi promised to provide all necessary welfare package to workers and the citizenry, just as he attributed the non-payment of salaries to paucity of funds from the federal government.
