Unrelenting in their desire for the state governor, Mr Seyi Makinde, to personally address them on their demands, protesting Oyo workers, for the fourth day running, ensured that the entry and exit gates to the state secretariat remained under lock and key, on Thursday.
The compliance on Thursday was even firmer as activities within the state Secretariat were virtually paralysed while the union leaders mobilized to further restrict entry and exit, while security men were also well positioned.
As it had been since Monday, workers under the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) in the State trickled in to the front to the Secretariat with music blaring from sound system to keep alive the aluta spirit.
This is just the labour leaders including those of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) parked their cars to block the gates, with even fewer number of workers seen approaching the gates to seek to gain entry.
Displaying banners, the leadership of the NLC, TUC and NUP maintained that their requests of the workers remained payment of salary deductions, palliatives for workers, upward review of pension allowances, payment of leave bonus, payment of gratuities to retirees who have been stagnated since the year 2021 and release of promotion letters for the Year 2021 and 2022.
Meanwhile, the Oyo state Government has implored protesting civil servants in the state not to go violent and remain peaceful in the course of their agitation.
This admonition was contained in a statement by the state Commissioner of Information and Orientation, Mr Dotun Oyelade issued on Thursday.
Oyelade described the ongoing protest as unfair and hasty, saying the Makinde administration had prioritised workers’ welfare.
He said this is typified by that less than N100 million is spent on political office-holders salaries monthly, while N7.3bn is spent on the workforce for the same period.
As a result, he said the fact that the state owes two months salary deductions should not attract extreme reactions from the workers.
Oyelade argued further that the Makinde administration has prioritised issues concerning civil servants, such that over 90percent of political office-holders do not have the luxury of an official car in the last four years, while many senior civil servants enjoy such facilities.
Notwithstanding, Oyelade posited that the state government boasted of a good relationship with the NLC to douse the current impasse.
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