Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, on Monday directed the conversion of casual workers at the Osun State University Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, to permanent staff, bringing relief to employees who had spent about 12 years in temporary roles.
The directive was disclosed in a statement issued by the governor’s spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, following Adeleke’s visit to the facility.
According to the statement, the affected workers had remained on casual appointments for over a decade, a situation the governor resolved to address as part of his administration’s commitment to workers’ welfare.
Addressing staff during the visit, Adeleke blamed the financial challenges facing the state on political actors he accused of orchestrating crises in local government areas to destabilise his government.
“They plotted against our government. Their goal is to stop Osun’s development. But despite their evil plans, Osun is growing and our projects are moving.
“But by God and the people, we survive. Our government is delivering good governance. I won’t stop serving and delivering good things for our people,” the governor said.
The announcement of the workers’ conversion, the statement noted, was received with excitement, as staff members reportedly broke into songs in appreciation of the development.
Reacting, the Chairman of the hospital’s labour movement, Olamide Faniran, commended the governor for what he described as a pro-labour decision and pledged workers’ support.
“We appreciate your support and assistance to Osun workers. We have seen your sacrifices to make life better for the people, and we will reciprocate by massively voting for your re-election,” Faniran said.
The governor was also said to have toured the hospital wards, interacting with patients during the visit.
The development has again brought attention to the issue of casualisation in the country, where workers spend years without job security or benefits.
In a related development, some casual workers disengaged by the Bauchi State Ministry of Education recently appealed to Governor Bala Mohammed for permanent employment, describing their disengagement as unjust after years of service.
