…Insist on dialogue with Gov. Abiodun before ending strike
Segun Ayinde, Abeokuta
Organised Labour in Ogun State, comprising the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), and the Joint Negotiating Council (JNC), has vowed to continue its ongoing industrial action until Governor Dapo Abiodun personally meets with labour leaders for dialogue.
At a press conference held on Tuesday at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Secretariat, Iwe Iroyin, Abeokuta, labour leaders insisted that the strike, declared on Monday, will not be called off unless their demands are addressed directly by the governor.
The strike follows a resolution passed at the General Parliament of Ogun State Civil/Public Service Workers, held at the Arcade Ground, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, directing the entire workforce to down tools indefinitely.
The workers are protesting the state government’s plan to implement the contributory pension scheme without resolving lingering issues. They are also demanding prompt promotion, payment of eight years’ leave allowances, implementation of the new minimum wage of N77,000, improvement in working conditions, and fulfillment of previously signed agreements.
TUC Chairman, Comrade Akeem Lasisi, flanked by NLC Chairman, Comrade Ademola Hameed-Benco, and JNC Chairman, Comrade Isa Olude, raised serious concerns about the contributory pension scheme. He claimed that since the scheme’s inception in Ogun State, it has been fraught with irregularities.
Lasisi alleged that no remittance has been made into the Retirement Savings Accounts (RSA) of workers since Governor Abiodun assumed office in 2019. He said workers are unable to access their pension accounts due to issues like shared or duplicate Personal Identification Numbers (PINs), and the government has not paid a dime into the scheme despite continued deductions from salaries.
“The Ogun State Government has consistently violated the pension law. For over 14 years now, including this administration, there has been no remittance into the RSAs. Yet, they want to begin implementation on July 1, 2025. This is unacceptable,” Lasisi stated.
He insisted that for the contributory pension scheme to proceed, the state must first comply with the Pension Reform Act 2004 (amended in 2014), by clearing outstanding liabilities to the Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs), estimated to be close to N160 billion.
“If the government is sincere, it must first pay up all it owes the PFAs. The implementation cannot begin while these issues remain unresolved,” he added.
READ ALSO: Ogun NLC Declares Indefinite Strike, Demands Immediate Dialogue With Govt
Lasisi also described the new minimum wage implementation in the state as inadequate, revealing that domestic staff in the state currently earn as low as N38,000 despite the national benchmark being N77,000.
“Ogun State once promised to be among the first to implement the new minimum wage. Today, it has one of the lowest salary structures in the country,” he lamented.
He further accused the government of denying workers promotions and failing to pay accumulated leave allowances, saying that workers are left frustrated and demoralized.
“Retirement is supposed to be a time to enjoy the fruits of one’s labour. But the way this pension scheme is being handled, workers are retiring into hardship,” Lasisi said.
Both NLC Chairman, Comrade Hameed-Benco, and JNC Chairman, Comrade Isa Olude, urged Governor Abiodun to show genuine concern for the plight of workers and engage them in meaningful dialogue to resolve the ongoing crisis.
They emphasized that only a face-to-face meeting with the governor can bring an end to the strike.
“We are open to dialogue. We want to work, but we also demand fairness. The governor must meet with us and show commitment to workers’ welfare,” they declared.
As the strike enters its second day, public institutions and services across Ogun State remain shut, while labour maintains its stance: No dialogue, no work.