Workers cite welfare gains, government performance as Workplace Security Campaign reaches Oguma
By Atuluku Samuel
Workers in Bassa Local Government Area of Kogi State have thrown their weight behind President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo, declaring that the duo have earned their confidence and support ahead of the forthcoming elections.
The declaration was made on Monday at Oguma, headquarters of Bassa Local Government Area, when the Workplace Security Campaign Team led by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Labour, Comrade Onuh Edoka, visited the council as part of its ongoing sensitisation programme across the state.
The engagement provided an opportunity for government representatives, labour leaders and workers to interact directly on issues affecting the workforce, workplace security, welfare and the need for continued collaboration between government and organised labour.
Speaking during the programme, the Chairman of Bassa Local Government Council, Hon. Theophilus Danruwana, said Governor Ododo had demonstrated sufficient commitment to workers’ welfare and the overall development of the state to merit another term in office.
Danruwana said the administration’s interventions in areas affecting workers had strengthened confidence in the government, stressing that workers were increasingly recognising the importance of supporting a government that prioritises their welfare and security.
According to him, the Workplace Security Campaign was particularly significant because it goes beyond political mobilisation to address the fundamental issues that affect workers’ productivity and wellbeing.
He commended the Special Adviser and his team for taking the sensitisation programme to the grassroots, describing the decision to engage workers directly at the local government level as a demonstration of inclusive governance.
The Council Chairman expressed optimism that the APC would emerge victorious in the forthcoming elections, saying the growing support for President Tinubu and Governor Ododo across the state would translate into a decisive electoral advantage.
Adding his voice, the Chairman of the Medical and Health Workers Union in Bassa, Comrade Adamu Amodu, who spoke on behalf of other unions, said workers had taken note of what he described as the administration’s achievements since Governor Ododo assumed office.
Amodu listed various areas where the government had impacted workers and the wider population, insisting that the workforce had sufficient reasons to remain supportive of the administration.
He said the workers’ position was not merely a political declaration but was informed by their assessment of the government’s performance and its relationship with the workforce.
“We are resolute in our decision to support the Governor,” Amodu stated, while urging the administration to continue to pay attention to issues affecting workers at the local government level.
He nevertheless appealed to Comrade Edoka to assist in conveying some of the outstanding challenges confronting workers to the appropriate authorities.
He said addressing those concerns would further strengthen the relationship between the government and the organised workforce and deepen the workers’ confidence in the administration.
In his response, the leader of the campaign team, Comrade Onuh Edoka, explained that the Workplace Security Campaign was designed to deepen workers’ understanding of the importance of a safe, stable and secure working environment.
Edoka said workers could only perform optimally when they had confidence in their workplace, their jobs and their personal safety.
He urged the workers to remain security-conscious at all times and to cooperate with relevant authorities in maintaining peace and stability within their communities and workplaces.
The Special Adviser stressed that job security remained an important component of workers’ welfare, noting that the protection of workers’ livelihoods was essential to their productivity, family stability and overall wellbeing.
He assured the workers that the government was already looking into several of the issues raised during the engagement, promising that their concerns would be communicated to the appropriate authorities for necessary attention.
Edoka also commended the Bassa Local Government Chairman for personally attending the programme and for providing an opportunity for the campaign team to engage directly with the workforce.
The programme brought together key labour leaders and political stakeholders in Bassa Local Government Area, underscoring the growing importance of workers’ participation in political and governance discussions ahead of the elections.
Those present included the Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Gabriel Amari; Chairman of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Comrade Sule Ahmed Tijani; Chairman of the Joint Negotiating Council (JNC), Comrade Olusegun Alemeru; as well as other labour leaders, political office holders and representatives of workers’ unions.
The Bassa engagement is part of the wider Workplace Security Campaign being taken to local government areas across Kogi State, with the organisers seeking to strengthen workers’ awareness of workplace security while also creating a platform for dialogue on welfare, employment stability and other issues affecting the workforce.
With the renewed declaration of support from workers in Bassa, the campaign has continued to generate political momentum at the grassroots, as labour leaders and workers assess the performance of the Tinubu and Ododo administrations ahead of the next electoral cycle.
