Rivers State Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, has called on Nigerian workers to reflect on the state of the nation and their contribution to national development.
Governor Amaechi made this call today during the 2013 May Day celebration in Port Harcourt.
Represented by his deputy, Engr. Tele Ikuru, the Governor, said “I want to use this privilege to ask each of us to reflect even as we celebrate. Let us also use today to reflect on the state of our country,” noting that “from the day this country was founded we started having workers who have worked in one capacity or the other towards the upliftment of this country”.
He stated that “the engine room of government are the workers. The engine room of the factories are the workers. The engine room of development are the workers. Without workers there can be no development. Therefore we need to reflect on how much we have played our parts,” pointing out that “we cannot divorce the present state of Nigeria from how well we have played our part”.
Congratulating the workers on the centenary workers day anniversary, Governor Amaechi, who is also the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF), declared that “this is the time to reflect, to change our attitude, to renew ourselves. This is the opportunity for us to reflect and renew our service towards our fatherland. The government of Rivers State will continue to support labour having partnered with you for the last 6 years”.
Earlier, Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Rivers State Chapter, Comrade Chris Oruge, attributed Nigeria’s endemic crisis of development to poor policy implementation, corruption, lack of accountability and the will-power to do what is right, calling on Nigerians to join hands with labour in the genuine search for a dynamic way to national rebirth.
Comrade Oruge used the opportunity to thank Governor Amaechi for suspending the decision of the State Executive Council to retire Directors of Ministries who had served eight years and above, adding that the committee set up by the Head of Service, which included labour, to probe the exorbitant wage bill of the State Civil Service has discovered an inflated amount of N1, 080,271,628.92, thereby saving the State from further loss, reiterating the resolve of the labour movement to intensify the campaign and pursuit of reasonable welfare for Nigerian workers.
Speaking, Chairman of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, (TUC), Rivers State Chapter, Comrade Chika Onuegbu, pledged the continued support of labour for the Governor Amaechi-led administration in the State, appealing to him to integrate organized labour represented by TUC and NLC into all processes of governance so that workers’ interests will be articulated and protected at all levels.
Godswill Jumbo Acting Press Secretary to the Deputy Governor, Wednesday, May 1, 2013
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