By Atuluku Samuel
The Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS) in Kogi State, Comrade Sunday Emeje, has described the labour force as the most powerful unarmed army in the world, stressing that the strength of workers lies in their unity and collective action.
Emeje made the declaration on Tuesday during the ongoing Workplace Security Campaign and sensitisation programme held across Idah and Ibaji Local Government Areas of Kogi State.
He urged workers to take full advantage of the initiative championed by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Labour, Comrade Onuh Edoka, by becoming active ambassadors of the achievements of the administration of Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo, particularly in the area of workers’ welfare.
According to him, the organised labour force possesses enormous strength when united around a common cause, noting that a united workforce cannot easily be defeated.
He described Edoka as a leader with foresight whose vision, he said, should ultimately translate into electoral victory for Governor Ododo and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027.
“Workers have a critical role to play in every election because they are not only voters but also influencers within their families, communities and workplaces,” he said.
Emeje commended Governor Ododo for recognising the strategic importance of the workforce, describing the approval of the Workplace Security Campaign as evidence of the administration’s appreciation of workers and their contributions to governance.
Also speaking, the ASUSS Chairman in Idah Local Government Area, Comrade Joseph Ocheja, and the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) Chairman in Ibaji, Comrade Iboyi Sunday Philip, commended Governor Ododo for what they described as his exemplary leadership and commitment to the welfare of workers.
The union leaders highlighted various interventions and achievements of the administration, particularly those they said had positively affected workers and local government communities.
They subsequently passed a vote of confidence in the Governor and assured that workers in their respective areas would mobilise support for the re-election of Governor Ododo and the continuation of President Tinubu’s administration in 2027.
The Chairman of Idah Local Government Area, Hon. Alfa Halilu, and the representative of the Ibaji Local Government Chairman, Inekwe Enejo, who serves as Director of Personnel Management, said the sensitisation programme had significantly strengthened their grassroots mobilisation efforts ahead of the forthcoming elections.
They commended Comrade Edoka for what they described as his sincerity, accessibility and commitment to workers, noting that his record in leadership positions had earned him credibility among the workforce.
They expressed confidence that the people of their respective local government areas would continue to support Governor Ododo, whom they described as the best option for the state.
Earlier, the leader of the Workplace Security Campaign team, Comrade Onuh Edoka, explained that the programme was designed primarily to sensitise workers on security matters and provide practical guidance on how to remain safe both within and outside their workplaces.
Edoka emphasised that personal and workplace security remained a collective responsibility, urging workers to remain vigilant and security-conscious at all times.
He also charged the workers to take their job security seriously, arguing that continuity in government was necessary to sustain the gains recorded by the workforce under the present administration.
According to him, Governor Ododo and President Tinubu had taken significant steps to improve the welfare and economic conditions of workers, adding that the continuation of their administrations would provide an opportunity to consolidate those gains.
The Special Adviser further disclosed that some of the demands raised by workers were already receiving the attention of the government.
He therefore urged the workers to remain optimistic and prepare for what he described as a “thank-you visit” to Governor Ododo in recognition of his administration’s response to their concerns.
