Nkechinyere Ewa-Okpara
Stanley Okoro Emegha, Chairman, All Progressives Congress, Ebonyi state has urged workers in the state to employ
dialogue in ironing out issues of interest rather than applying measures to frustrate the state government.
Emegha said using what he described as archaic and immature measures to demand their welfare is uncalled for.
In a press statement raised on Tuesday, the APC chairman commended the Governor for remaining steadfast in the welfare of the Ebonyi people and urged him not to relent.
The statement read in parts, “All honesty, the recent and aborted industrial action embarked upon by Ebonyi State civil servants does not only reflect their weaknesses and ability to retrace their steps on the instruction of the leader of the state and Governor, Rt Hon Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru but also raised a significant concern bothering on who played the drum.
“In as much as their recent action despite the commendable efforts of the Governor, towards increasing their take home apart from other incentives remains unwarranted and odious, I wish to ask them whether “they were more comfortable with the era of executive rascality, impunity, and abandonment?
“To say that civil servants in Ebonyi State could contemplate embarking on strike just because some of their leaders succumbed to the undue pressure from greedy, malicious and uncircumcised politicians is difficult to comprehend because Governor Nwifuru has done exceptionally well in changing their narrative through several means.
“Firstly, the Governor increased their salaries by 20% and awarded one hundred thousand Naira as a Christmas bonus last year to each of them, among other incentives. He is the first person under the present democratic dispensation to increase worker’s take home even before the negotiation of the new national minimum wage of N70,000. He did not only give his consent to it, but he increased it to N75,000.
“Apart from these interventions aimed at cushioning the effect of the economic downturn in the country, the civil servants also benefit from numerous government empowerment programs.
“Recall also that His Excellency, the Governor voluntarily, on assumption of office, paid the gratuities arrears of all the state retired civil servants from 1996 to 2023 and is currently working assiduously hard to ensure that local government workers get theirs soon.
“Although it is heartwarming that they have come with the directive of the Governor and have since returned to their various duty posts which is a sign of gratitude to the numerous incentives they are enjoying presently in the state, they should not allow a few disgruntled politicians whose relevance have since died a natural death to hoodwink or manipulate them into carrying out their mischievous and spiteful plans against their wishes and the state government.
“Through words and actions, the Governor has reiterated that the civil service is the engine room of government and would not relent in charting a cause that will improve the well-being of the state workforce. This is also contained in his People’s Charter of Needs agenda, compass of the administration.
“Therefore, I wish to admonish workers to always employ dialogue in ironing out issues of interest rather than applying archaic and immature measures to frustrate the state government and make mockery of themselves under a system their welfare is in the first line charge.
“Similarly, I wish to appreciate and in the same breath, commend my Boss and Governor, Rt Hon Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru for always taking a firm and proactive posture in addressing headlong matters of importance to the state and her good people”.