Lagos — The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar, has expressed optimism that the performance of Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State would increase the number of Labour Party (LP) governors in the next election in the country.

The NLC president spoke in Akure, Ondo State capital during a courtesy call on the governor and which preceded the opening ceremony of Three-Day Workshop for chairmen and secretaries of unions in the state.

Omar, who said the congress did not regret the choice of Mimiko as the governor commended him for his workers friendly policies including the intention to pay 50 per cent basic salary of workers in the state as Christmas bonus.

Describing the LP as a party with ideology, Omar said the performance of the governor in the first nine months has shown that he would not disappoint labour.

He specifically mentioned the implementation of the 27.5 per cent enhanced professional allowance to teachers from July this year without embarking on an industrial action and the release of N1.4bn to offset outstanding gratuity and pensions of retired primary school teachers and council workers.

He asked the workers in the state to display high sense of maturity in their demands so as to continue to enjoy good working relations, adding that workers in the state should continue to support the government.

Responding, Mimiko said that he was aware of his place in history as the only LP governor in the country adding that he would live up to expectation by delivering his electoral promises to the people.

Mimiko said as a governor of a party with ideology of a social democrat, his government would always take decision that would be beneficial to the majority of the people of the state.

The governor said it was in the spirit of human feeling that made the government to embark on the construction of neighbourhood market so that people would not be displaced from the Adesida road indiscriminately without providing them alternatives.

Also, the governor noted that work has started with the process of awarding contracts for the asphalt overlay of Oba Adesida Oyemekun road, dualisation of Akure to Airport, dualisation of Arakale road while work has commenced on the repair of Federal government roads that have become impassable.