Edo poll: PDP is anti-worker, Oshiomhole alleges
(Nigeria) Governor Adams Oshiomhole says the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, is an anti-worker party which purged the public service of over 7,000 workers in one fell swoop, without paying their pensions and gratuities.
Also, the governor has assured the workers in Egor Local
Government Area of the state, which was omitted from the recent bailout for
other Local Governments in the state that their arrears will be paid this week.
Speaking at a gubernatorial rally of the All Progressives
Congress, APC, at the Olua Primary
School in Egor Local Government Area of the state, Wednesday, Oshiomhole said the PDP has a
deep-seated hatred for workers and teachers as they were shabbily treated in
the ten years they were in the saddle.
According to him, “the choice is between two political
parties, one which in seven and half years has redefined governance and another
which in ten years treated workers shabbily.
“When Nigeria was doing well and PDP was in government in
Edo State, don’t forget, the first thing PDP did with Ize-Iyamu as Secretary to
Government was to dismiss about 7,000 civil servants. They sacked them, because
according to them, they wanted to reduce labour cost, when actually they wanted
to take the money and privatise it.
“That is not all they did, when they dismissed the workers,
they didn’t pay them their pension, they did not pay them their gratuity. So I
need our pensioners to remember that the PDP carried out retrenchments, but we
never carried out retrenchments, I never carried out mass dismissals in our
public service.
“When PDP were here, they issued a circular to the Head of
Service, banning employment into the public service, they stopped employment
into the State Health Management Board. When I came in, I lifted the ban,
recruited civil servants and employed over 1,000 teachers.
“When the PDP were here, in four months, five months, six
months, Nigerian Union of Teachers will remember, with Ize-Iyamu as Secretary
to Government, they were not paying salaries and the teachers had to alternate
on which days to attend classes to make ends meet, the classrooms were leaking
with potholes inside the classrooms. So many male teachers left, leaving only
the women who were hoping that one day God will intervene and God intervened
and APC came.
“Today, I am proud to say of the thirty-six states in the
federation, the Edo teacher is the first to be paid and we are up to date in
the payment of teachers’ salaries, whether primary school, or Junior Secondary
School or Senior Secondary School.
I am proud to say that in Edo State, teachers are the most
prominent to be paid and we will continue to pay them, no going back.
“In Edo State, we see the worker, not as a cause agent, we
see the worker as the engine of growth if properly managed and that is why even
this week, if you are in the employment of Edo State government, you are already
getting alert, so God win.
“So, even the one omission, when Egor was omitted, I’m happy
to say that this week, not next, those Egor Local Government workers will be
paid. So I believe in the worker.
“When they said the minimum wage was too high, I said No, it
is too small and we increased it from N188,000 to N25,000, they said it’s a May
Day joke, but we are already paying it, even those on Level 17. And by the way,
the highest level for an Edo public servant was Level 16, today they can go up
to Level 17 like their Federal counterparts, because for me, the Edo worker is
not inferior to their Federal counterparts.”
The Governor said the state Government has paid about N26
billion of Bond taken for Water storm master plan project, adding that the
first phase of the project will be complete this December.
He noted aside the deep drains to de-flood the state
capital, ten roads with street lights, underground drains as deep as four
metres and six metres wide are included in the storm water project.
On his part, the Gubernatorial candidate of the APC, Mr
Godwin Obaseki said his government will focus on human capital development,
adding that to achieve this, industrialisation, technology and large-scale agric
farms will be established to provide jobs for the youths.
He said Edo state will plug into the Federal Government
scheme where the poorest in the society will get a N5,000 succour monthly.
He assured the women that they will get soft loans to
empower women which will grow the economy.
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