The Nasarawa State Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has pledged the support of organised labour for Governor Abdullahi Sule and the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The pledge was made n Lafia when the State Chairman of the NLC, Comrade Ismaila Okoh, led leaders of the NLC, the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and affiliate unions on a courtesy visit to the governor at the Government House.
Okoh said workers in the state had no reason to withhold their support for the Sule administration, citing what he described as the governor‘s consistent commitment to workers‘ welfare and the overall development of Nasarawa State.
He listed prompt payment of salaries, implementation of outstanding promotions with financial backing, and payment of gratuities to pensioners as some of the major interventions that had endeared the administration to workers.
He also commended the governor for maintaining an open-door policy and for regularly engaging organised labour on issues affecting workers.
„All of us here in the NLC and TUC, organised labour in Nasarawa State, have no reason whatsoever not to support your administration and, of course, your aspiration,“ Okoh said.
He assured the governor of the continued solidarity of workers and pensioners, saying they were ready to identify with his political aspiration in 2027.
Governor Sule, who is serving his second and final term in office, is widely expected to seek election to the Senate to represent Nasarawa North Senatorial District in 2027.
Labour‘s demands
While pledging support, the NLC chairman also presented a fresh list of demands to the governor.
Okoh appealed to the state government to approve an owner-occupier housing scheme for government quarters and other government properties at the local government level to enable civil servants to own the houses they occupy.
He also appealed for the provision of buses to ease transportation difficulties faced by civil servants, particularly in the wake of high transport costs.
On workers‘ welfare, Okoh asked the governor to increase the existing N40 million workers‘ loan facility to at least N200 million to enable more workers to access soft loans to meet their needs.
He expressed appreciation to the governor for his willingness to engage organised labour at all times, and reiterated the commitment of the unions to sustained cooperation and industrial harmony in the state.
Sule: Peace key to development
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Responding, Governor Sule thanked organised labour for its cooperation and support, which he said had contributed significantly to the industrial peace enjoyed in Nasarawa State in recent years.
He said peaceful industrial relations were critical to the economic development of the state, noting that investors were often discouraged by frequent protests, strikes and other forms of industrial crisis.
The governor said his administration had continued to strive to balance workers‘ demands with the financial realities of the state, and assured the labour leaders of his readiness to review outstanding entitlements and other welfare concerns.
On the outstanding minimum wage arrears, Governor Sule said the government was ready to reopen discussions on the matter and examine what could be accommodated within available resources.
On the proposed N70,000 transport allowance for workers, the governor asked organised labour to establish the financial implications and implementation status of the proposal over a six-month period to enable government to take an informed position.
Health workers, tertiary institutions
Governor Sule disclosed that he had approved measures to address salary disparities affecting healthcare workers in the state.
He explained that the decision was aimed at discouraging the exodus of medical personnel to other states offering better pay and conditions of service.
The governor also said his administration had addressed some of the requests from tertiary institutions in the state, while other outstanding issues, including allowances for different categories of workers, would be considered on their merit.
On staff promotion, Governor Sule recalled an earlier agreement with organised labour to make future promotions performance-based.
He urged union leaders to communicate the government‘s position to their members to avoid misunderstanding and to ensure that promotions reward hard work and productivity.
Pension scheme
The governor further commended the NLC for its assessment of the proposed Contributory Pension Scheme for the state.
He described the scheme as an important arrangement to secure the financial future of workers after retirement, and said government would continue to work with labour to ensure a transparent and sustainable pension system.
The meeting ended with both sides reaffirming their commitment to dialogue, cooperation and industrial harmony in the interest of workers and the development of Nasarawa State.
