Ogun State Workers under the banner of Nigeria Labour Congress {NLC} yesterday shunned the 51 year Anniversary of the nation held at the 35,000 capacity Moshood Abiola Stadium, just as the presence of residents was found low, in view of what was linked to fear of Boko Haram bomb threats.
Next further reports that, the labour resolved to boycott the ceremony was traced to the union grouse with the government over alleged 300 percent tax imposition introduced by the government, non-remittance of contributing pension and unpaid arrears of deductions.
Just at the weekend the Joint Negotiating Council{JNC} issued a 7-Day Ultimatum to the state government which expires Tuesday, October 11, 2011 to address the demands or face the wrath of the labour.
The statement signed by JNC Chairman, Sunday Adeegbe explained that workers parliament has now been re-scheduled for Wednesday, October 12, 2011 at the Nigeria Labour Congress {NLC} Secretariat to kick start the proposed strike.
In a related development, the ceremony witnessed low turnout, contrary to the usual large number of guests at the events, as information gathered that, many resolved to stay back home, to avoid any possible terrorists attack.
Our correspondent further reports that, even with heavy security beef up, residents were said not to be comfortable, hence, their decision to keep indoor. However, many government functionaries and traditional rulers were in attendance.
However, the State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun in his speech at the occasion said ‘Let me salute the courage of our forebears and the founding fathers of this nation. They had a vision of a strong and prosperous nation, where every man, woman or child has equal opportunity and access to the good things of life; a vision of a strong and united country that will be a major player in the international arena. They laid a solid foundation upon which we have been building. We owe it to them, in the words of our National Anthem that "their labour must not be in vain".
‘Therefore, we must intensify our efforts at confronting these challenges using creative and pragmatic approaches. We need to build and strengthen institutions of governance; deliver dividends of democracy; and reinforce people's confidence in government. As it is often said, we do not need strong men; we need strong institutions that will outlive strong men. We must build an independent judiciary to strengthen the administration of justice in the country. We must strengthen our law enforcement agencies and public institutions such that they serve the society and not individuals, no matter how highly placed'.
Amosun added that in Ogun State ‘ we have started a rebuilding mission and I am proud to say that it has begun to yield positive dividends. The five (5) cardinal programmes of affordable qualitative education, efficient healthcare delivery, agricultural production, industrialization, affordable housing and urban renewal, rural and infrastructural development and employment generation are generating the desired results for all to see. During our 100 days celebration, we presented a score-card that even the most cynic of our critics could not disprove.
Amosun admitted that, Nigeria as a nation had her own fair share of challenges of nation building, stressing that the tasks are enormous. ‘We have been confronted with the mantra of religious intolerance in several places in this country. Many still argue that Nigeria remains a geographical expression and not a nation'.
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