By Yanju Uwala
Ogun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has backed the decision taken by the state labour union to embark on an indefinite strike action across the state and local government levels, accusing the state government of gross mismanagement.
The state workers had accused the administration of Governor Dapo Abiodun of gross mismanagement and deliberate neglect of the State’s Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS).
In a statement signed by the party’s Publicity Secretary, Otunba (Arc.) Kayode Adebayo and issued on Tuesday, PDP described the strike as a lawful and moral response to what it termed the “institutionalized disservice” and “criminal abuse” of the state’s civil service by the Administration of Dapo Abiodun.
The opposition party, also said it stood in “total solidarity” with the organised labour, noting that the industrial action, which began at midnight on Tuesday, July 15, was justified” by the failure of the government to remit workers’ pension deductions for over 14 years, despite continuous monthly deductions.”
“It is an undeniable mark of irresponsibility that the ruling government still treats the Contributory Pension Scheme with blatant disdain,” the party said.
It added:”From all indications, the government, as always, has dipped its hands into workers’ legitimate savings with reckless abandon, thereby committing a clear breach of law, trust, and social contract.”
The opposition party, further condemned what it called the lopsided welfare of Ogun workers compared to their counterparts in other Southwest states.
While citing figures, the party decried the ₦18,787 monthly pay for a Level 7 officer in Ogun State, compared to ₦60,751 in Lagos and ₦55,952 in Osun.
“How does a state with the second-highest Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) in Nigeria explain paying such starvation wages?”, the statement queried.
Adding that such discrepancies have ripple effects on pensions, gratuities, and other entitlements, the party warned the Abiodun administration against intimidating or blackmailing the workforce, insisting that what Ogun workers deserve is “fairness, accountability, and justice—not propaganda, empty promises, or vindictive threats.”
The New Diplomat reports that PDP also called on the Ogun State House of Assembly, traditional institutions, and civil society organisations to set aside political affiliations and demand transparency and justice for the workers.
“This is not a partisan matter; it is a matter of life and livelihood,
“Enough of the deceit. Enough of the abuse. Enough of the betrayal”, the party added
Recall that the strike action, led by organised labour, is in response to the Ogun state government’s alleged failure to implement the 2008 Pension Reform Law (amended in 2013) and address alleged poor remuneration across the civil service.
Meanwhile, the Abiodun administration has yet to respond to the allegations by the state workers, as of the time of filing this report.
