Adeleke spoke in Osogbo, the state capital, on Thursday, after receiving the award of the ‘Most Humane Governor of the Year,’ presented to him by the Joint Negotiating Council of the labour movement in the state.
A statement by the spokesperson for the governor, Olawale Rasheed, quoted him as saying, “Some months ago, the Nigeria Union of Pensioners conferred on me the award of the most workers’ friendly governor.
“I was told that was the first time the union would grant such honour to a serving governor. Here we are today again with the entire workforce of the public service acknowledging our modest contributions to the development of our dear state.
“The positive testimonies from the various unions and labour leaders attested to the correctness of our original thinking when running for the state governorship. We had analysed the political space and concluded then that the smartest way to grow Osun is workers’ welfare. We accept and adopt the reality that human capital is a strong foundation for the integrated development of the state.
“We had also spotted the nexus between formal and informal workers in the state. Easing the challenges of public service tends to uplift the economic well-being of the informal sector. These analyses were responsible for placing workers’ welfare as the number one priority in our governance agenda.
“We are vindicated today as the workforce has validated our approach to governance. This vindication has challenged our team to remain focussed and engaged in our relentless drive for a new life for our people.”
Speaking earlier, the Osun JNC chairman, Mr Lasun Oladele, commended Adeleke’s favourable disposition to issues relating to the welfare of the civil servants in the state, expressing hope that he would sustain the existing relationship with the workforce in the interest of industrial harmony in the state.
