A former Osun State Governor, Chief Bisi Akande, said on Saturday that workers who receive pay for the period they are on strike are thieves who are not helping the development of their nation.
He gave the verdict in his goodwill message at the maiden Governor Abiola Ajimobi Roundtable held at the Kola Daisi Civil Centre, Ibadan. The discussion had as its theme: ‘The Imperative of Building Institutions for Lasting Legacies.’
Akande said one of the problems of the Nigerian society is the immorality of citizens receiving payment for a job undone which he said is a clear example of theft and which retards the development of any nation. The politician explained that all over the world, workers go on strike but that they don’t get paid for the period they down tools in all serious countries.
“When you take salaries for the job you did not do, you are a thief. In developed countries, workers don’t take salaries when they go on strike,” he said.
The immediate past governor of Osun State, Rauf Aregbesola, also echoed his position, explaining that labour unions sometimes function as the clog in the wheel of progress in Nigeria. He added that contractors and other members of the society take government money without earning such which he said is a major problem in the country.
He called for building and strengthening of institutions instead of building individuals.
Aregbesola recalled the advice of the former US President, Barrack Obama, to African leaders to build and strengthen institutions, not individuals, stressing that he will never forget the importance of the advice.
The host, Oyo State governor, Abiola Ajimobi, expressed gratitude to God and other leaders for helping him choose someone who would be a worthy successor. He stressed that the All Progressives Congress (APC) would win the 2019 elections in the state.
