The All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Oyo State, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, has assured workers across the state’s public service of prompt payment of salaries, allowances and other outstanding entitlements if elected governor in the 2027 governorship election.
Alli gave the assurance amid escalating industrial unrest in the state, following the commencement of a strike by medical and dental officers in the Oyo State public service and an indefinite industrial action by members of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso branch of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
The parallel strikes have raised concerns about the continuity of essential healthcare services and academic activities, with patients who depend on public hospitals and students at the state-owned university facing potential disruptions to their welfare, learning and access to critical services.
In a statement issued by the Director of Media and Publicity of the Senator Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation (SSACO), Mr Bisi Oladele, the APC candidate described the industrial actions as deeply troubling, particularly in view of persistent complaints about shortages of medical personnel, inadequate equipment and deteriorating infrastructure in government-owned hospitals across the state.
Alli criticised Governor Seyi Makinde over what he described as an apparent lack of urgency in addressing the disputes, accusing the governor of prioritising political engagements outside the state over the immediate responsibilities of governance.
According to the campaign organisation, the governor’s continued political activities amid the strikes raise questions about his administration’s commitment to workers’ welfare, public healthcare and the education of thousands of students enrolled at LAUTECH.
The organisation argued that a government that consistently presents workers’ welfare as a central pillar of its administration should demonstrate that commitment through timely payment of entitlements, effective industrial relations and prompt resolution of legitimate labour grievances.
Disputes over allowances, salaries and university agreement
The SSACO maintained that the demands of the Association of Medical and Dental Officers (AMDO) were legitimate employment-related concerns that required urgent attention rather than prolonged confrontation.
According to the statement, the doctors’ grievances include outstanding allowances and the restoration of salaries of medical personnel transferred from field assignments to the Ministry of Health.
The campaign organisation also identified the implementation of the 2025 Federal Government-ASUU agreement, payment of outstanding entitlements, including promotion arrears, and the provision of essential facilities as among the issues reportedly fuelling the dispute involving LAUTECH ASUU members.
It argued that unresolved disagreements over salaries, allowances, promotion benefits and working conditions could undermine morale among professionals whose services are indispensable to the state’s healthcare and education sectors.
Alli questioned how an administration that repeatedly emphasised its commitment to workers’ welfare could allow disputes involving such fundamental employment concerns to escalate into industrial actions capable of disrupting essential public services.
He maintained that the payment of earned entitlements and the establishment of effective channels for engagement with organised labour should be treated as core responsibilities of government.
Public hospitals face additional pressure
The APC candidate expressed particular concern over the withdrawal of services by medical and dental officers, warning that the action could further strain an already overstretched public healthcare system.
According to the SSACO, the reported shortages of medical personnel, inadequate equipment and operational difficulties in government hospitals have already placed considerable pressure on healthcare delivery across the state.
The organisation warned that a prolonged strike could deepen existing challenges, particularly for residents who rely on public facilities for emergency treatment, maternal healthcare, paediatric services and routine medical attention.
“The consequences are borne not by government officials who can afford private medical care, but by ordinary citizens, particularly pregnant women, children, pensioners and low-income families who depend on public healthcare facilities,” the statement said.
It added that every additional day of the industrial action raised serious concerns about access to emergency treatment, continuity of care and the welfare of vulnerable patients.
The campaign organisation stressed that the impact of industrial disputes in the health sector extended beyond disagreements between government and employees, as disruptions to medical services could expose patients to avoidable hardship.
It therefore called on the state government to urgently engage the striking medical personnel, identify areas of disagreement and pursue a practical resolution that would enable the resumption of services.
Alli accuses Makinde of misplaced priorities
The SSACO also faulted Governor Makinde over his reported participation in political activities in the South-East while the industrial disputes persisted in Oyo State.
The organisation argued that the governor’s immediate responsibility should be to address the challenges confronting residents, particularly the disruption of healthcare services and university activities.
“Worse still, Governor Makinde has chosen the comfort of a political jamboree in the South-East over the urgent responsibility of safeguarding the health and lives of his people and education of future leaders,” the statement said.
It added that, rather than remain focused on resolving a crisis affecting the state’s public healthcare and education systems, the governor was allegedly preoccupied with pursuing his presidential ambition.
The campaign organisation described the situation as a contradiction of the administration’s repeated claims of prioritising workers’ welfare, arguing that the effective management of labour relations should be demonstrated through timely action when disputes arise.
“For Makinde, the allure of presidential power appears to have eclipsed the solemn obligations of his present office. Oyo State deserves a governor focused on governance, not one distracted by the intoxicating but increasingly unrealistic dream of occupying Aso Rock,” the statement added.
The criticism forms part of the growing political contest ahead of the 2027 governorship election, with the opposition seeking to make workers’ welfare, public-sector efficiency, healthcare delivery and educational development major issues in the campaign.
Call for dialogue and emergency healthcare arrangements
Despite its criticism of the state government, the SSACO appealed to the striking medical personnel and university lecturers to remain open to meaningful dialogue, while acknowledging their right to pursue legitimate employment demands through lawful means.
The organisation said constructive engagement remained the most effective route to resolving the disputes and preventing further disruption to essential services.
It also called on the state government to put immediate contingency arrangements in place to protect patients requiring emergency and life-saving medical attention throughout the period of the industrial action.
According to the campaign organisation, the protection of human lives must remain paramount, regardless of the differences between government and organised labour.
It urged the relevant authorities to ensure that patients in critical conditions were not left without access to emergency medical care and that vulnerable residents were not exposed to unnecessary risks as the dispute continued.
The organisation similarly emphasised the need to resolve the issues affecting LAUTECH, warning that prolonged disruptions to academic activities could impose additional costs on students, parents and the wider university community.
Alli promises a different approach to workers’ welfare
Reiterating his commitment to workers’ welfare, Alli promised that his administration, if elected in 2027, would place prompt payment of salaries and allowances, constructive engagement with labour unions and improved working conditions at the centre of its public-service agenda.
The APC candidate also pledged to prioritise the provision of modern medical equipment and essential facilities in public hospitals, alongside measures aimed at improving the welfare of healthcare professionals.
“Unlike Governor Makinde, Senator Alli will place the welfare of healthcare professionals, education and the wellbeing of the people at the heart of his administration,” the statement said.
It added that his proposed administration would focus on ensuring timely payment of salaries and allowances, maintaining constructive relationships with medical personnel and improving the facilities required for effective public healthcare delivery.
The campaign organisation presented these commitments as part of Alli’s broader promise to strengthen public institutions, improve service delivery and ensure that government policies translate into tangible benefits for residents.
However, the immediate challenge remains the resolution of the ongoing disputes and the restoration of normal services in affected public hospitals and at LAUTECH.
As the industrial actions continue, attention is expected to remain on the state government’s response to the workers’ grievances, the availability of emergency healthcare services and the prospects for negotiations capable of ending the disruptions.
For residents who depend on public hospitals and students whose academic progress is tied to the resumption of university activities, a timely and sustainable resolution remains critical.
The unfolding situation has also placed workers’ welfare and the management of essential public services firmly on the political agenda ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
