Ajimobi to workers: I surrender, says 'democracy is about dialogue, not fighting'

Oyo State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, has again appealed to striking workers in the state to suspend the one-month-old industrial action, calling on their leaders to meet with government representatives to share the available fund in the state’s coffers.

The governor, who invoked the spirit of peace and dialogue, made the appeal in an interview with journalists shortly after observing prayers at the Eid ground on the occasion of the Eid El-Fitr, in Ibadan, on Wednesday.
The governor stressed the need for labour to show understanding by coming to a roundtable to discuss the way forward on how the outstanding salaries of workers could be paid as well as the new education initiative of the state government.
Ajimobi said: "I am using this opportunity to call on labour and all stakeholders in the state, including teachers, workers, students, traders even the thugs and brigands to come together and join hands with me to improve Oyo State.

“Let us live peacefully among ourselves. We don’t want anything else, but peace. Where there is peace, there will be progress. Democracy is about dialogue, not about fighting.

“We must come to the roundtable. So, I am appealing to labour to imbibe peace and dialogue. We will pay outstanding salaries when we have the fund. But let them come so that we can sit together to discuss how to allocate the little money that we have now."

The governor admonished Muslim faithful across the country to imbibe the lesson of the Holy month of Ramadan in their daily affairs, urging them to guard against returning to some of the sinful acts they dropped during the fasting.

Ajimobi said, "We should not live differently from the way we lived during Ramadan. We must obey the tenets of Islam and its principles: to be nice to others, to be accommodating, have the fear of God, tell the truths at all times and avoid evil machinations and thuggery."

In his message, the Chief Imam of Ibadanland, Sheik Abubaker Agbotomokekere, similarly called on all Muslims not to go back to their sins which they left during the month of Ramadan.

Harping on Islam as a religion of peace, the cleric urged Muslim adherents to live peacefully with brethren from other faiths and avoid utterances and actions capable of stoking the ember of religious crisis in any part of the state.

Agbotomokekere prayed for the sustenance of peace, progress and development of the state.