Governor Abiodun meets union leaders, says Ogun will not be second state to implement new minimum wage

 

Workers in Ogun State will soon be smiling when the state governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, declares that his administration is working to implement the new minimum wage.

The governor, who made the statement during a meeting with leaders of the organised trade unions held at the office of the governor, Oke-Mosan Abeokuta, stressed that workers have played a crucial role in the rapid economic growth the state is experiencing.

He promised union leaders that Ogun State would not be left behind in the implementation of the new minimum wage.

He said: “With regard to the new minimum wage, everyone is working hard and I am sure that, as always, we will not be number two in implementing the minimum wage.

“I told my team that we should roll up our sleeves; we should work as hard as we can without putting undue pressure on our people. We should be creative, more efficient, close loopholes, and increase our revenues so that we can comfortably afford to pay the new minimum wage, and by the grace of God, we will not be second in terms of implementation.”

He called for the continued collaboration of organised labour, stressing that their cooperation has led to economic prosperity as the state budget has increased from less than N400 billion at the start of the administration to the current N703 billion, with a performance of 80 percent. He added that the state is considering a budget of one trillion Naira for next year’s allocation.

Governor Abiodun said he initiated the meeting as part of efforts to engage stakeholders involved in the people’s movement to find solutions to the current situation caused by the removal of fuel subsidies.

Abiodun, who took time to explain the complexities of the oil sector, acknowledged that the current realities are the consequences of the decision of the Federal Government, led by President Bola Tinubu, to reposition the national economy towards sustainability, adding that as a responsible government, his administration has taken several measures to cushion the effects on the people.

“We have started the energy transition program by converting our public transport buses to CNG and launching electric motorcycles and tricycles.

“Yesterday (Monday) we held a meeting with transport unions. They asked to increase the availability of these alternative means of fuel transport in the state and to expand their scope because of the success they have recorded.

“The federal government is making rice available for us to sell at highly subsidized prices to all. The federal government is also providing us with 500 CNG kits which we will use to convert 509 commercial vehicles so that we can lower our transportation costs,” Abiodun added.

The federal government, the governor continued, will first send 20 CNG buses to the state, while the state government will provide 100 CNG buses to the state transport unions, saying that transportation costs are expected to reduce by 50-80 percent as more people adopt electric motorcycles and CNG vehicles.

Governor Abiodun attributed the current fuel shortage to operational and financial problems, while the price increase was due to the removal of subsidies and the floating of the Naira.

“With everything that’s been put in place, with all the men on deck and the commitment to the energy transition, when we go from over-reliance on gasoline to CNG to electric vehicles and other forms of energy, we will start to see the cost of transportation, which is where the real problem is, start to come down.

“Therefore, our commitment to the energy transition is total. It is the only way to sustainability. It has already been done in other countries,” he said.

He said a presidential CNG initiative has been set up involving people from different sectors, while the state has become the hub for vehicle transition in the Southwest due to its expertise in the project.

Abiodun revealed that farmers’ markets would be established in the three zones of the state to enable people to purchase food items at affordable prices, while a task force comprising transport union leaders and law enforcement officials had also been set up to monitor arbitrary increases in transport fares, adding that workers would also be involved.

Also speaking, the state chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Hameed Benco, while appreciating the governor for always involving the unions in his decision making process, stressed the need to enforce price regulation as market men and women have taken advantage of the current economic situation to exploit the people.

He also called for a special arrangement to transport workers and students of primary and secondary schools to their offices and schools respectively, saying this would help ease the hardship.

In his speech, the state president of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Comrade Akeem Lasisi, called on workers to work from home until the situation improves, while the chairman of the joint negotiating committee, Comrade Isa Olude, called for measures that would provide relief to workers and pensioners.

The head of the service, Mr Kehinde Onasanya, commended the governor for allaying the fears of the workers, noting that he has demonstrated capacity and strong will in addressing issues relating to the welfare and health of the workers.

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