"Today as the world marks the May Day, I stand in solidarity with workers across Nigeria in general and Kwara State in particular," said Belgore, a chieftain of PDP in Kwara state.

"As an employer of labour myself, I believe every worker deserves his wage - and as and when due too. No worker should have to be at the mercy of anybody before receiving what is due them.

"I also believe no worker should be cheated in whatever form and neither is it proper for any employer to blackmail the employee using high rate of unemployment as a bargaining tool."

Belgore, who was governorship candidate of the defunct ACN in the 2011 poll, said the Kwara state government is particularly guilty of banking on high poverty rate and unemployment rate to blackmail the civil servants.

"This, unfortunately, has been the case in our state where workers are still not getting minimum wage. We are aware that many teachers and health workers in Kwara State earn way far below the 18,000 minimum wage!

"Indeed, the information from the civil servants is that Kwara State government is only effecting partial payment of the minimum wage. If we accept the rhetoric of the government that its allocation from the centre is very low, we must never accept the fact that it has continued to lie that it is paying the minimum wage. This is unacceptable. Once a government loses credibility, it engenders hopelessness and criminality among the people.

"It is our appeal that workers be given their due and be treated with dignity. This appeal covers the pensioners too, who, after serving for several years, are refused their entitlements. No adjective can describe such conduct on the part of the authorities. Blackmailing workers with prevalence of poverty and unemployment is cruel and and inhuman.

"We wish all hardworking workers in Nigeria and beyond a better life ahead!"