From our Correspondent
Ebonyi State governor,Francis Nwifuru has approved the increment of the civil servants salaries and the recruitment of one thousand teachers to remedy the shortage of the personnel in the public primary and secondary schools.
The governor made the pronouncement on May 1, 2024 during the Workers’ Day celebration at Pa Ngele Oruta Stadium in Abakaliki.
According to him, “Your commitment and sacrifices are unmatched in anywhere in the world, we are celebrating today because it is important to reciprocate the gesture and this administration has something in store for you as contained in the manifestos, Peoples Charter of Needs” he said.
He added that his administration would consolidate on the achievements of the immediate past administration by improving the state economy thereby described the workers as partners in progress who deserve to be appreciated.
He assured the people of regular promotions, prompt payment of salaries, pensions and gratuities and disclosed that the gratuities of those who had retired between January, 2024 and now had been paid completely.
“Presently, we are paying salaries, pensions and gratuities as at when due and we do not owe anyone over all these that I have mentioned while we are waiting for the outcome of the negotiation on minimum wage” he said.
He commended the workers for having Professor Ogugua Egwu as their NLC chairman who had been encouraging his leadership in the state.
“We are building 39 special secondary schools with 21 classrooms each and we will demolish other shanties and building staff quarters because we are sending every year N1,000 of 1st and 2nd Class graduates to do their Masters and Ph.D.
“With the arrangement that we will be paying them the same salary with university lectures while they will be teaching in those schools, as our administration will winding up in 2031, before then, we must have graduated about 7,000 and the number will be above what we need in primary and secondary schools to obtain facelift in education sector and based on the request of NLC, I have approved the recruitment of another N1,000 teachers” he explained
The governor further promised to look into all the requests made by Nigeria Labour Congress, Ebonyi State chapter and approved N10,000 increment in their individual salary.
In a joint speech of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress, Ebonyi State chapters read by the chairman of the former, Professors Ogugua Egwu stated that the day was set aside by the administration of Alhaji Shehu Shagari to remember 21 coal miners gruesomely killed by the British Colonial Police on November 18, 1949 at Iva Valley in Enugu State for legitimately demanding equal remuneration with their white counterparts.
According to the chairman, a similar incident was recorded on May 1, 1886 in Chicago where some workers were brutalized and arrested while others were convicted in a Kangaroo court and publicly hanged in a market square through the order of the ruling capitalist then.
But on 1889, the International Workers Association in Paris resolved to dedicate May 1, for the memory and honour of the slain persons.
He added that the theme of the event “People First” is an expression of the absolute need to prioritize the people in all sphere of life and appealed to the state governor for the engagement of more teachers in public primary and secondary schools in the state and enhance the welfare packages of the workers.
He also requested for the implementation of judiciary autonomy, approve welfare packages of the judiciary workers and recall some staff of Ebonyi State University (EBSU) who were suspended over their involvement in union activities.
He further called on the governor to reabsorb staff of the former Teaching Hospital (EBSUTH) into the new teaching hospital, reinvigorate Ebonyi State College of Education for middle class man power training and harmonize and enhance both the pension and gratuity management scheme in the state and council areas among others.
Leave a Reply