Rivers workers, dress in black, decry govt failure to fulfil promises.
The Guardian.
Rivers State chapter of the National Labour Congress (NLC), yesterday, celebrated the 2022 Workers Day in black attires, which, according to them, symbolised frustration and failure of the state government to fulfil promises.
The workers jeered at the Deputy Governor, Dr. Ipalibo Harry Banigo, who represented Governor Nyesom Wike, saying the workers were tired of deceit by what they described as a “promise and fail” government.
Meantime, the state government has approved the immediate release of monthly pensions for additional 1,191 retirees from the Rivers State civil service.
Wike disclosed this during the celebration of Workers Day held at Isaac Boro Park, Port Harcourt, yesterday.
He said the payment took immediate effect from the Month of April 2022, stressing that the payments were received between Thursday and Friday last week.
Wike, who reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to the welfare of workers, said under his watch, salaries were paid to all workers in the public sector promptly and they were provided monthly overhead costs to enable them to run their offices effectively.
He said the government also provided funds to all schools under SUBEB and Secondary Schools Board, which eliminated illegal levies.
Wike expressed regrets that the state NLC chairperson, Beatrice Itubo, who had in the past, applauded him as a most worker-friendly governor, was the first to criticise his presidential ambition.
He described the theme for this year’s May Day celebration, ”Labour, Politics, the Quest for Good Governance and National Development,” as apt, in view of current socio-economic and security challenges allegedly foisted on the people of Nigeria by the All Progressives Congress (APC) led Federal Government.
In her remarks, Itubo said the labour family was delighted with the state government’s payment of pension arrears to retirees and implored them to implement recommendations contained in the tripartite committee reports.
She commended the government for effectively tackling insecurity in the state.