I’ll Continue to Govern Osun with Fear of God, Says Oyetola

Workers in Osun State for the second time in less than three months yesterday openly supported Governor Adegboyega Oyetola for second term ahead of next year’s governorship contest.

The workers, numbering over 10, 000 under the auspices of Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), noted that a governor who stopped paying half salary, who lifted ban on their promotions and conversions after several years, who gave them minimum wage without agitation and who has continued to pay full salaries despite the challenging economic situation in the country, deserves a show of appreciation from the workers in the State; and that the only way to do that was to ensure his re-election come July, next year.

They made these known during a meeting of the governor with the newly elected NULGE Executives, Council Managers and Heads of Departments in Local Government, Local Council Development Areas and

Area Offices, held at the Muti-Purpose Hall of the Local Government Civil Service Commission, State Secretariat, Abere.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), and the Joint Negotiation Council (JNC), had on May 1, openly endorsed Oyetola for another term.

Although the Wednesday’s event was a NULGE affair, all the three labour leaders in the state were on hand to lend their support, with the NLC chairman, Comrade Jacob Adekomi, seizing the occasion to tell the gathering to shun insinuations that the governor would go back to half salary after returning for a second term.

The NLC Chairman held that with the landmark Supreme Court’s judgment, workers have the right to be partisan, saying “Oyetola remains our candidate as far as next year’s election is concerned. If he wants to go back to half salary, now is the time to do so because some states have cut down salaries of workers. This man is God-sent, he won’t change.”

This is even as governor Oyetola said he would continue to govern the state with the utmost fear of God and that contrary to insinuations, all the gains so far recorded would never be reversed.

He said the welfare of workers and other citizens in the State are of topmost priority to him and his Administration, adding that the show of love to him by the workers has rekindled his hope in the project called Osun and that he would do everything to take it to greater heights.