Ogun NLC Chairman Charges Workers To Be Diligent, Abstain From Corruption

By ABIODUN JIMOH, ABEOKUTA
Chairman, Ogun State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Emmanuel Bankole has tasked workers in the state to be diligent and to abstain from all kind of corruption that could tarnish the image of the Union.
Similarly, the number one labour leader urged them to be vanguard for anti corruption crusade so that the internal generated revenue for the state will increase and in return the state government will as well be able to accord workers with better welfare packages.
Comrade Emmanuel stated this in his opening remarks at the NLC 2020 new year prayer and thanksgiving service held at the council secretariat, Abeokuta on Thursday, whereby various labour leaders,a workers and clergymen were in attendance.
The day activity was declared open with prayers from both Muslim and Christian clerics, as they used the occasion to pray for workers, the state and Nigeria in particular. Also, words of exhortation were preached by them to enliven workers spirit.
In his word, Comrade Emmanuel said: “Today is not a day for speech making, but a day to appreciate God for the wonderful things He has done in our life and pray that 2020 will be a better and prosperous year for us as workers in the state.
“We have to appreciate God and also meditate as workers where have we done very well and where do we still need to improve, that is, self appraisal of our activities over the year. 
“Let us abstain from all manner of corruption anything that will tarnish the image of the Union, please, let us abstain from it. If workers are found wanting and you have to face panel, and your labour leader will have to beg them, then, you have weakened your labour leader to be begging on your behalf.
“The best way is to abstain absolutely from all manners of corruption, and what is more is that we should dedicate ourselves as vanguard for anti-corruption in Ogun State. 
“Anything corruption should be eradicated in the state, corruption is depriving us of better welfare packages only that we have been available to create conducive environment. To send us to training  human capacity, it is not there because some people are pocketing these money.
“As workers we should join the vanguard of anti corruption, fight corruption to a standstill and not allow it to thrive in the state. There will be more money for government, more better welfare packages for workers too, for infrastructural development, human capacity development and many more,” he opined.
In the same vein, he also remarked that a diligent worker will empower and strengthen the union to ask from employer better welfare packages and other benefits. But, if as workers, they are not diligent in their duty post, they will only put the union in a very big opposition.
“We will not be able to go to the employer with courage to ask for this and that. As workers, I want to appeal to us let us be diligent in our duty post. The word of God also enjoined us that whatever we lay our upon, we should do it very well.
“So, I want to enjoin us that whatever we lay our hands upon, we should not look back, we should do it very well and I enjoin us as worker both in the private and public sector, let us do our job diligently,” he observed.
Furthermore, Comrade Emmanuel hereby appealed particularly to workers as major stakeholders, that the state has been christened investors destination, and if they will come, either small, medium or large scale, workers will be the first person to meet, adding that if by their manner of approach, they were not diligent in welcoming in a way that will satisfy them, they will just turn away.
“So let us be diligent and relate well, if these investors will come, we are the first point of contact, and as such we should be able to market our state very well. We should be able to interact with them very well in a way they will encourage them to come and do business with the state.
“Because it is by so doing that we are going to enlarge the scope of employment for people that are looking for job. Also, it will bring in more revenue for the state government, and address infrastructural gap in the state. Also, it will bring about  better welfare packages for workers in the state. 
“So, I want to encourage us we should be public relations specialists to state government, in whatever capacity and our level, we should be public relations specialists, be able to market and project the image of the state in a manner that people will want to patronise and come to Ogun State.
“As we do these, we will able to strengthen the Union and related well with, so that we can now go to government to ask for this and for that, and that our people having done this, having increase the internal generated revenue to a high level, we also deserve to have better packages. So I want to encourage as workers in the state, let us be up and doing, be diligent,” Comrade Emmanuel concluded.