Lawrence Nwimo, Awka
Civil servants in Anambra State, Wednesday, displayed their dissatisfaction and disappointment at the absence of Governor Chukwuma Soludo at Ekwueme Square, venue of Workers’ Day celebration in the state.
Workers also did not have it easy with the Deputy Governor, Dr Onyekachukwu Ibezim, who represented the governor at the event for his refusal to comment on their demands for a wage increase and other welfare requests.
As early as 10 am, workers from different Ministries, Agencies, and Parastatals including members of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), in their different uniforms and attires, had filled the entire arena of the celebration with the hope that the occasion would be an opportunity to hear the Governor speak on their welfare and tell them his plans of the wage increase to cushion the excruciating hardship they are facing.
They were, however, disappointed at the presence of the Deputy Governor, forcing many to conclude that the Governor may have presented him (deputy) to evade satisfying their curiosity about minimum wage and other demands relating to welfare.
Chairman of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Humphrey Nwafor, had, in a long address, asked the governor to suspend the deduction of the contributory pension from worker’s salaries and to address fraudulent activities at Ndi Olu Microfinance bank to ensure industrial harmony in the state.
Nwafor demanded the constitution of the judiciary and civil service commissions for easy promotion of workers and appealed to the governor to re-introduce the removed wage award and to retain same till the new minimum wage is signed and implemented in the state.
He also requested the establishment of a ministry of Labour, low-cost housing for workers, in-service training of workers, and mass recruitment of staff to fill vacancies created by mass retirements, among others.
Responding after the blunt refusal of workers to hold a match past before his address, Ibezim, in what looked like an attempt to evade discussing minimum wage or wage increase, which was the people’s area of interest, dwelt his responses on the achievements of the governor to the chagrin of the listening workers.
Ibezim reassured workers that it has been the thought of the governor to provide a solution to the numerous challenges of NLC in the state, calling on the people to support the government’s drive to reposition the state for the good of all.
He said: “Anambra State is in safe hands. All we need to do is do the right thing. Soludo has a vision to develop Anambra and has converted the state into a construction site.
“We are ready to work to make Anambra better. For your requests, we are on it. We have taken all your demands and I assure you that work is in progress.”
Ibezim said a committee has been set up to look into the alleged fraudulent activities at the Ndi Olu Microfinance bank. He also assured that the workers’ welfare requests would be treated soon.
However, despite the governor’s response, the workers grumbled, chanting that the governor should monetise whatever love he has for them and not recounting achievements of his government to them.
