Date: 2016-11-17

The Kwara Council of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Wednesday commenced 10-day free medical tests targeting 4,000 workers in the state. Mr. Yekeen Agunbiade, the Chairman of NLC in Kwara, who disclosed this in Ilorin, said the programme was in collaboration with the National Action Committee on AIDs (NACA).

Agunbiade said that the maiden programme was organized by the NLC to assist workers and students in the state to be medically sound and fit. "We are flagging off the programme today which we will eventually take to four local governments including Ilorin East, Asa, Ilorin West and Ilorin South," he said.

The NLC chairman said that there was a good relationship between the state government and the congress and urged the government to focus on teachers' salaries and pensioners' entitlements. Dr. Atolagbe Alege, the state Commissioner for Health, commended the NLC for the initiatives.

According to him, what comes to mind when you hear labour is strike and money, but this time NLC has new initiatives on citizens' welfare. He said that such initiatives should be made yearly events and conducted nationally so that NLC would be perceived by the government as innovative and progressive.

Alege expressed government's resolve to partner the NLC in incorporating the health initiatives into other welfare programmes in the state. The programme included HIV/AIDs test, malaria test, blood pressure test and distribution of male and female condoms.