The Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Osun State, Comrade (Dr.) Christopher Abimbola Arapasopo, has strongly condemned a recent report by a faceless group called the Osun Workers Union (OWU).
This was contained in a statement he personally signed today.
According to him, the report by OWU is delusional as well as misleading.
The NLC chairman dismissed OWU’s claims, alleging that the group is being sponsored by the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) to discredit Governor Senator (Dr.) Ademola Jackson Nurudeen Adeleke.
Arapasopo emphasized that Governor Adeleke has remained committed to his promises to both active workers and retirees in the state.
He stated that the government has consistently met its financial obligations and has not defaulted on salary payments or pension settlements.
“The Governor has been paying half-salary arrears monthly to workers who retired under the Contributory Pension Scheme and are yet to receive their bonds. He did this of his own volition to support these retirees,” the NLC chairman affirmed.
Additionally, he noted that Governor Adeleke has cleared all outstanding cooperative deductions owed by the previous APC administration, further demonstrating his commitment to the welfare of workers in the state.
Arapasopo described the OWU as an illegal, anti-labour, and anti-worker group, accusing them of attempting to undermine the governor’s achievements.
“These faceless individuals are simply bitter because Osun workers and retirees are now experiencing good governance under Governor Adeleke. Unlike during their tenure, which was marked by exploitation and suffering, workers now enjoy fair treatment and timely payments,” he said.
He urged workers and residents of Osun State to ignore the falsehoods peddled by OWU, predicting that similar propaganda will increase as the state approaches another election cycle.
“Osun State will not forget the dark days of their rule. As we move toward another election period, it is expected that more of such fabrications will surface. However, their desperation will not change the fact that workers and pensioners stand firmly with Governor Adeleke.”
The NLC chairman further advised Governor Adeleke not to be distracted by the false narratives being spread by the opposition, urging him to continue his worker-friendly policies.
“I appeal to Mr. Governor to remain steadfast in his dedication to workers, pensioners, and the general public. His administration’s policies have brought relief to many who suffered under the previous government. He should ignore these unscrupulous elements and stay focused on his developmental agenda.”
Arapasopo also reaffirmed the NLC’s unwavering support for Governor Adeleke, stating that as long as the governor continues to prioritize workers’ welfare, the labour force will continue to stand with him.
“Osun workers and pensioners are at home with this administration. We will not be swayed by baseless propaganda, and we remain committed to ensuring that the interests of our members are well protected.”
The NLC chairman concluded his statement with a call for unity among workers, reiterating that Osun cannot afford a return to the hardship experienced in the past.
Meanwhile, the spokesperson to Governor Adeleke, Mallam Olawale Rasheed had also in a statement said recent news release credited to a faceless labour group on state pension and salary payments to Osun workers should be ignored as the ranting of an anti-labour clique proxying for the opposition All Progressive Congress (APC).
Rasheed said the official organs of labour movement in Osun state are the Nigerian Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress, the two bodies that have variously awarded medals of honour and appreciation to the Governor for his outstanding actions on welfare, pension payments and overall care for Osun workers.
In several statements, the NLC and the TUC have described Governor Adeleke as the best to ever happen to the labour movement in Osun state, a position deeply supported by Osun workers and pensioners.
The non-existing Osun Workers Union (OWU) is just a wing of the state All Progressive Congress, a party that is desperately battling to whitewash its terrible anti-labour records while in the leadership of Osun state.
The common refrain today among Osun workers is their readiness to resist any ploy to take them back to Egypt. They recount the refusal of the past government to pay their pensions and the half salary debt, stunted promotion policy, non-payment of promotion benefits, the bastardisation of the service, the relegation of public service in governance through external consultancy and the overall wickedness of previous governments to state workers.
Osun workers embraced the present administration for many reasons namely; the adoption of workers’ welfare as number one item on governance agenda, the payment of half salary debt which the APC refused to pay, the payment of almost N50 billion pension debt within two years compared to N45 billion for the 12 years of APC government, payment of promotion arrears, regular promotion of staff and overall delivery of good governance to the good people of Osun state among others.
The Spokesperson denied the fake news that N41 billion was allocated to the governor’s office in the 2025 budget, asking that the APC and its proxy agents should get educated that more than 11 government agencies are under the office of the governor with their separate projects and programmes.
On the pension payment, the administration has within two years paid almost N50 billion in various pension debt while a new set of bonds for contributory pensioners will soon be released.
Aside from the pension debt already paid and the half salary being liquidated, the administration is set to release another multi billion naira worth of pension bond to contributory pensioners even as it judiciously spread state resources on all sectors for balanced growth and development.
The coordinator of contributory pensioners, Rasheed Ayinde has indeed come out to defend the administration’s pension records, submitting that the Adeleke government has done commendably well in view of competing demands for attention from other sectors of the state economy.
The fake labour group actually misfired on its accusation on vehicle purchase, when in actual fact, its sponsor the APC and its officials, illegally carted away government vehicles when it was defeated in 2022, leaving the government paralyzed.
If the mass car theft of 2022 had not occurred, the present government would not have had cause to buy a few cars it purchased at extremely low cost to keep the wheel of government running.
We assured the state APC that no amount of fake budget data from faceless labour groups can change its evil records of anti-labour practices while in government.
“We must tell the state APC and its non-existing workers’ union. You failed and maltreated workers when you were in charge. Osun workers are having the best of time under Governor Ademola Adeleke”, the Governor’s Spokesperson was quoted as saying.
