The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ogun State, Mr. Gboyega Isiaka, on Thursday said if elected next month in the general elections, his administration would make Ogun an oil-producing state.
Speaking during a parley with workers’ union under the aegis of the Trade Union Congress in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, Isiaka accused the incumbent Governor and candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Sen. Ibikunle Amosun of making life hard for workers in the state by denying them their entitlements.
The PDP candidate, who expressed concern over the fall in federal allocation and economic downturn, said his administration would explore viable revenue generation opportunities in the state.
He also promised to provide better welfare package for workers in the state if elected.
The meeting, which attracted the leadership of many labour groups, was led by the Ogun State TUC Chairman, Seyi Adebanjo, who chided the outgoing government for neglecting the welfare of workers in the state.
Isiaka said, “We have to be creative and look inwards in making more economic opportunities for ourselves in view of the current global economic downturn we may face this year. To this end, I will pursue the objective of making Ogun State an oil-producing state to make the state better for the future generations. We can make the cake bigger by also pursuing the bitumen deposits in Ogun East and the Olokola Export Processing Zone project.
“It is unfortunate that we have a government that has been irresponsible and reckless in its handling of the state’s finances. I want to assure you all that under my watch, the welfare of workers and, indeed, everyone in the state will be enhanced through the four pillars of my ‘Life More Abundant’ manifesto”.
Isiaka, who is an investment banker and former Managing Director of Gateway Holdings, also promised to help Ogun State workers to access the National Housing Fund to enable them build their own houses.
In his remarks, the state TUC chairman berated Gov. Amosun for failing to aid workers in the areas of housing and other indices of human welfare. He, therefore, urged Isiaka to give governance a human face when elected into office.
“Our situation has never been this bad since the creation of the state, where workers are treated as slaves. Many statutory emoluments have not been paid since 2012 while the remittances and deductions are nowhere to be found”, Adebanjo said.