Labour deserts Gov. Oshiomhole: Workers shun rally over unfulfilled promises

The hero of the labour movement is losing his constituency. Or maybe he has simply moved on. But undoubtedly, the Edo state governor would not be pleased with the treatment given to him by Edo workers on Wednesday during the May Day rally at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin.

Normally, Workers Day is a big deal in the state which has one of the country’s most decorated former labour leaders now serving as chief executive. This year’s event turned out to be sore, as majority of Edo workers stayed away from the rally in protest.

Hence it was basically a parade of the big men, as mostly executives of the unions were the ones who showed up.

Notable among the absentees were the teachers, a key workers’ subgroup which used to attend May Day rallies in their numbers. According to a report by The Nation, only a few of them showed up allegedly because most of them were protesting the sack last year of some of their colleagues by Gov. Oshiomhole.

According to reports:

Workers used the occasion to vent their anger on what they termed “many unfulfilled promises of Governor Oshiomhole”.

NLC Chairman Emmanuel Ademokun said the governor has not improved on the condition of service and welfare of workers.

Ademokun said workers were being dismissed and harassed.

He said the governor was yet to fulfil his promise to recall Edo Line workers and build a ‘Labour House’.

Oshiomhole said palliative measures on the fuel subsidy removal was to benefit everybody in the state.

He said he abolished school fees at senior secondary schools, approved free treatment for pensioners and the elderly above 70 years, provision of free eye-glasses and 50 per cent discount for pupils, who boarded the ‘Comrade Buses’.

The governor spoke tough on non-promotion for civil servants ,which he blamed on their poor performance.

He said civil servants gave him over-inflated vouchers to sign and recalled an incident where he saved N500million from a contract to be awarded.

He said: “For us to get what you see in the street, I put in 20 hours out of 24.

“I will remove anybody who is a clog in Edo’s wheel of progress. I will take any job which will not keep Edo going.

“I weep when I see people suffering out of the negligence of civil servants.

“For every one person I have offended, there are 10 others who are happy.

“Workers should be interested in the overall security of the state.

“I hate lazy people. I hate loafers. Should we promote people who are sleeping?

“We are wage earners and not wage takers. I am not a cheap politician, I want to be a leader.

“Those who work, we will promote them, those who do not work will be sacked.”

He announced that over 50 teachers sacked last year be recalled.

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