The Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, on Monday allayed fears that
plans by his administration to phase out the yellow commercial buses,
popularly known as Danfo, would lead to massive job losses, saying that
it would instead create more jobs in the transportation sector.
Ambode spoke at the May Day Rally held at the Agege Stadium to commemorate the 2017 Workers Day Celebration.
He said the Bus Reform Initiative, aimed at introducing over 5,000
air-conditioned buses to replace the Danfo buses, would open new vista
of opportunities, while also redefining the means of road transportation
in the State.
Responding to the fears raised by the Chairman of the Nigeria Labour
Congress, Lagos State Council, Comrade Idowu Adelakun, and his Trade
Union Congress counterpart, Comrade Francis Ogunremi, on the
implications of the initiative to drivers, conductors, mechanics and
other artisans, Ambode assured that it would benefit all Lagosians on
the long run.
He said: “If Lagos is to be globally competitive, we need to change the
outlook of the way the city runs. What is of paramount interest to this
government is to make sure that every Lagosian has a comfortable means
of moving from one point to the other. But I promise you there will be
no job losses.
“The Governor is not interested in driving all the new buses. It is the
same bus drivers, the technicians, the mechanics that will also still be
employed and trained to use these new buses. Instead of job losses, we
are going to employ more people for the greater number of the buses and
it will make the city more beautiful and more comfortable for all our
workers.”
Ambode, who also addressed the request of the labour leaders on workers’
welfare, assured that as the State’s Internally Generated Revenue
continues to increase, his administration would work out modalities to
improve the welfare of workers in line with his mantra of all-inclusive
governance.
The Governor said his administration was ready to look into the plight
of pensioners as regards the pace of paying pension, assuring that the
process would be fast-tracked immediately.
He said: “Just like we have said, we have provided vehicles for the
unions but again it has not gone round and it has also not gone round to
the private sector unions, we will complete the whole scheme before the
end of the year.”
Ambode said as part of the celebration of 50 years of the State, his
administration would provide a befitting State Secretariat for the NLC,
while the government would also work on local and international training
for labour leaders to make them relevant to the growth of the economy.
Governor Ambode also assured that the officers of the State Public
Service, who according to him are the real drivers of the development in
the State, would continue to be equipped with the necessary
competencies and skills in order to deliver effective and efficient
service to the people.
Commending the choice of this year’s May Day celebration, themed:
“Labour Relations in Economic Recession: An Appraisal,” the Governor
said the leadership of Labour unions had demonstrated a responsible
sense of stakeholding in the joint enterprise to improve the society and
leave lasting legacies for the generations to come through the creation
of sustainable wealth and value.
Besides, the Governor enjoined the organised labour to continue to show
understanding, while rightly insisting on the due and just entitlements
of their members, saying that any industrial unrest will compound the
challenges of economic recession.
“I wish to commend the example of Lagos State to the entire nation in
respect of industrial harmony. In Lagos State, both the government and
organised labour believe that negotiations are more democratic and
effective than unilateral impositions by the government or unilateral
demands by the workers,” he said.
While alluding to the fact that his administration would not have been
able to fulfill the electoral promises without the support of the “most
versatile, resilient and innovative Public Service in the nation”, he
noted that the immense contributions of all workers in the private
sector was also chiefly responsible for the pride of place that Lagos
occupies in our nation, in Africa and in the world at large.
Earlier, Comrades Adelakun and Ogunremi commended Ambode for his
commitment to workers’ welfare and the determination with which he had
been transforming the State, describing the Governor as an accomplished
accounting professional, creative intellectual, skilled planner and
focused implementor.
The May Day Rally featured March pasts from various Labour Unions, Trade
Organisations and its Affiliates who trooped out en masse despite the
heavy downpour and were excited to see the Governor celebrate the day
with them.
