Edith CHUKU
In commemoration of this year’s International Workers’ Day celebration, the Rivers State governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has eulogised the civil servants for their contributions towards the development of the state.
Fubara commended civil servants for maintaining peace, harmony and stability despite what he described as political storms in the state in the past 35 months.
The governor who stated this in his goodwill message to the workers of the state on Friday, assured the state workers that their dedication and sacrifices would not be in vain, even as he pledged that his administration would continue prioritize their welfare and wellbeing.
Fubara hailed the Nigeria Labour Congress NLC, the Trade Union Congress TUC and all affiliate unions in the state, for choosing dialogue rather than confrontation in resolving trade disputes, saying this mature approach to labour unionism has promoted industrial harmony in the state.
He said the peace enjoyed at work places across the state is a product of the maturity of the leadership of the organised labour and enjoined them to keep the dialogue table open and industrial relations in the state, progressive.
He disclosed that the state secretariat complex rehabilitation when completed, will improve the work environment and promote efficiency and productivity in the civil service.
His words: “Despite political storms, you did not down tools. Our schools did not shut down. Our hospitals did not close. That is because you chose service over strife. Rivers State owes you a debt of gratitude. On our part, salaries have been paid promptly every consecutive month. Pensions are being cleared. Let me assure you that no senior citizen who served this state will be left behind.
“Today, Rivers State stands still to honour the people who keep it moving. You are the teachers in Khana and Ahoada who show up even when the rain is heavy. You are the nurses at Rivers State University Teaching Hospital RSUTH who hold the night shift with grace. You are the civil servants in the state secretariat who turn policy into service, the engineers on the Port Harcourt Ring Road braving the sun, the sanitation workers who give us clean streets before the city wakes, and the farmers and artisans whose labour feeds our economy.
“My charge to you this May Day: Keep being the difference. Be diligent and give your best to Rivers State. The road from Degema to Port Harcourt is shorter today because an engineer woke up to work. A child in Etche can read because a teacher refused to give up. That is the Rivers story. You are the authors.”
The governor acknowledged that while the cost of living has tested every household and transport to work takes more from the pocket, the average worker has not given up because of their belief in the state.
He further assured the workers that his administration will not betray their trust.
