In contrast to alleged claims that Oyo State Governor, Engineer Seyi Makinde is intolerant to his appointed advisers’ contributions to his admnistration, Special Adviser on Labour Affairs, Comrade Bayo Titilola-Sodo has punctured the widespread allegation.
Titilola-Sodo, while fielding questions from members of the South-West Group of Online Publishers (SWEGOP) on Wednesday, July 5, 2022, submitted that Makinde is blessed with a pair of listening ears, hence, according to the comrade, his demonstrable brilliance and high capacity to understand issues beyond his Engineering profession.
The former Chairman, Oyo State Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) clarified that all the governor required from any adviser is a value-adding memo brilliantly presented to convince him and others at the meeting beyond reasonable doubt. He said Makinde would not waste time to make approval and also commend the sponsor.
“All what I know is that anyone that wants to engage him must be fully prepared. If you are not fully prepare and go to the governor, you have taken a risk because he will know and catch you unawares. If you fail to convince him, he switches off immediately with you. He will not sack you but you know your status already because he doesn’t joke or pretend on serious state matters,” he noted.
Titilola-Sodo, an accountant and lawyer, further clarified that his duties to the governor rests principally on welfare of workers and citizens of Oyo State, including workers from informal sector, even though he said his job is multifarious in scope.
“My job requires me to see to what outright belongs to the workers both at the formal and informal sectors. My job is to ensure that workers get paid, promoted, get their allowances and trained as at when due. Anyone who is shortchanged or unfairly treated can always reach out to my office for justice,” he notified.
He added that Oyo State civil service is a reflection of Nigeria’s society, declaring that Oyo State Government has no record of salary default. However, he charged the workers to reciprocate the government’s act of responsibility with commensurate diliegence in line with an old maxim that to whom much is given, much is expected.
Titilola-Sodo said, “The request the government has always been making from the workers is to be diligent in their duties, honest and loyal to the government and people of Oyo State”.
Based on the acclaimed sparkling relationship between the governor and workers, the special adviser sounded confident of bloc vote from his constituency to give Makinde a second term at the 2023 gubernatorial elections.
“If one good term deserves another, I am confident that we shall not lose a single vote of the workers of Oyo State. We have tasted two sides of a coin,” he assured.
In the expressive guest’s company to the SWEGOP interactive session included Chairman, Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, Comrade Ogundiran Emmanuel; Chairman, Nigeria Labour Congress, Oyo State, Comrade Kayode Martins; Chairman, Public Service Joint Negotiating Council, Oyo State, Comrade Olanipekun Olalekan; Secretary, Nigeria Union of Pensioners, Oyo State Council, Comrade Abatan Olusegun; President, Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees, Oyo State, Comrade Adeogun Ayo and Secretary, Nigeria Labour Congress, Oyo State, Comrade Adebayo Aribatise.
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