Concerned local government workers in Osun State on Thursday declared support for Bola Oyebamiji, the All Progressives Congress (APC) Governorship candidate, ahead of Saturday’s Governorship election, expressing confidence that he would restore their jobs if elected.
Addressing journalists at Olaiya in Osogbo, Tirimisiyu Adedayo Adekunle, the President of the State Council of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), said the participants came out voluntarily because of their belief in Oyebamiji’s capacity to improve workers’ welfare.
‘People came here willingly to declare support for Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji. We can see that people are not forced to come out; they came out because they believe in the welfare of the staff and that we are expecting Oyebamiji can really give it to us, and APC can give it to us,’ Adekunle said.
He said the composition of the rally included workers who had been suspended or sacked, while some others were still serving as state government employees.
Adekunle accused the administration of Governor Ademola Adeleke of not tolerating opposition, alleging that workers had been affected by their political affiliations.
‘The current government cannot tolerate opposition, and they live purely on propaganda. And that is why we said, Adeleke government must go,’ he said.
He also contrasted the present situation with the administration of former Governor Gboyega Oyetola, saying workers who openly supported the opposition were not sacked under his government.
‘When Oyetola was contesting for the second time, we have a staff who openly declared support for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) PDP then. Some of them are presently under his government. Oyetola never sacked anybody,’ Adekunle said.
On local government autonomy, Adekule commended President Bola Tinubu, saying the policy would promote faster development at the grassroots and improve the welfare of local government workers.
He said, ‘We want to give kudos to Bola Ahmed Tinubu for giving us autonomy of local government. For the entire grassroots, there will be faster development, and we staff, we have our own history and betterment to live also. That is why we said, we need freedom, and we can never mortgage our freedom.’