Laide Raheem, Abeokuta
The All Progressives Congress (APC), in Ogun State has flayed the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and its candidate, Gboyega Nasir Isiaka, for allegedly tricking the leadership of workers in the state into garnering their support ahead of 2019 polls, by promising to recall sacked workers, if elected governor.
APC also knocked Isiaka over what it termed as “emergency solicitous and patronizing promises vaingloriously aimed at winning votes”.
The party’s position was contained in statement signed by the Publicity Secretary of its Caretaker Committee, Tunde Oladunjoye, a copy made available to our correspondent on Saturday.
Isiaka, had on Friday, during an interactive meeting with the leadership of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Ogun State, promised to recall the NLC chairman, Akeem Ambali and other workers, sacked by the incumbent governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, if elected governor in 2019.
But the APC in the statement alleged that the ADC candidate played a prominent role in the previous administration in Ogun State, that was totally unfriendly to workers.
The statement added that Isiaka, was part of eight year tenure of Governor Gbenga Daniel, that allegedly owed workers salaries and unpaid deductions, sacked lecturers, dislocated families, and put the state in unprecedented debt trap that Ogun is yet to recover from.
The statement reads further: “Our attention has just been drawn to a reported promise by the candidate of African Democratic Congress (ADC), to the effect that if elected, he will reinstate workers, including Ogun NLC Chairman, unjustly sacked by Governor Ibikunle Amosun.
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“Our advice is that the ADC and its candidate should not mock the plight of Ogun workers as they, the workers, know by pedigree and association, who the genuine friends of Ogun workers are, and the candidate that could place premium on their welfare in government. The question to ask ADC is, where was Mr. Isiaka all this while in the concerted struggle to get these workers recalled, including the interventions of prominent traditional rulers like Awujale of Ijebuland? Why did it take his campaign visit to NLC for him to make this emergency promise?
“It is on record that the unjust sacking of the affected workers was a personal draconian decision of Governor Amosun, who is now promoting a rookie as governorship candidate in the Allied People’s Movement. Our party, All Progressives Congress (APC), opposed the sacking of the workers and we made it known on Monday, December 17, 2018 on a live radio programme in Abeokuta, that the next APC government of Dapo Abiodun would not only reinstate the sacked workers, but will also call back from retirement those that were untimely retired by Governor Amosun.
“Dapo Abiodun also said he will obey the court order directing the reinstatement of the sacked Staff of Tai Solarin College of Education (TASCE), Omu Ijebu. Is GNI just waking up?
“It is very important to remind the good people of Ogun State that GNI was part of the eight years rule of the former governor, Otunba Gbega Daniel.
“Ogun workers are not daft. They are not ‘brainless’ like Amosun described them. They are actually very discerning and are not fooled by emergency friends and activists”.