Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has promised that his administration would boost the state’s economy by embarking to on an aggressive and energetic global investment drive.
He also pledged to prioritise the welfare of workers by maintaining the payment of salaries on the 25th of every month, nicknamed ‘GSM Date’, in the second term of his administration tagged: “Omituntun 2.0” in local parlance.
The governor made the declarations during the commemoration of the 2023 May Day jointly organised by the Oyo State councils of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), held at the Lekan Salami Sports Complex in Ibadan, the state capital.
At the event, Governor Seyi Makinde celebrated workers across the state and enumerated the various ways his administration had been supportive to the workers, even in the face of challenges such as; prompt payment of salaries, payment of minimum wage from 2020, payment of increments from the backlog of promotions and consequential adjustments and 100% subvention to state-owned tertiary institutions.
Makinde said: “But our administration did not just pay salaries as some would insinuate, we invested massively in reducing our infrastructure deficit. This also had a multiplier effect on the economy. Travel times were cut short by interconnecting our zones with road projects. The more roads we built; the more development followed.”
The governor asserted that the prompt and consistent payment of salaries has ensured that the economic wheels of the state remained oiled, promising that his second term would be better as it would move from the ‘Accelerated Development’ of the first term to Sustainable Development of the second term.
He stated: “Under Omituntun 2.0, we will embark on an aggressive global investment drive. Our message to the world is simple, come and invest in Oyo State in agribusiness, renewable energy, solid minerals, and tourism. Oyo State is open for business. We will also look inwards and tackle those issues that will make our local entrepreneurs evolve and expand their operations.”
Nurture Workers
Earlier in his remarks, the NLC Chairman, Comrade Kayode Martins, highlighted some issues including the need for workers, whom he called the hens laying the golden eggs for the country, to be preserved and nurtured; the need for trainings and seminars to improve workers’ skills so they could meet up with present day challenges and the need for dialogue between government and workers’ unions.
For his part, the TUC Chairman, Comrade Bosun Olabiyi, called for a proper justice system saying workers have a right to bargain collectively and be heard.
He also urged government to have respect for agreements reached with workers and investigate cases of exploitation of workers.
The ceremony, which saw Governor Makinde and the state chairmen of the NLC and TUC receive salutes during the commemorative Match Past, had in attendance the wife of the governor, Mrs Tamunominini Makinde; Deputy Governor, Barrister Bayo Lawal; the Chief Judge of Oyo State, Justice Iyabo Yerima; Head of Service, Alhaja Ololade Agboola, and other top government functionaries.
Also in attendance were various workers groups, trade unions, market groups, paramilitary groups and socio cultural groups, among others.
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