Amaechi Berates Labour For Complacency

On Tuesday, Governor Chibuike Amaechi re
turned to the State and as usual embarked on projects inspection. The governor also continued his state wide project sites inspection on Wednesday.
Amog projets visited on Wednesday are the Dr. Odili/Woji/Akpajo Link Road, the expanded Woji/Elelenwo Link Road, the new International Conference Centre along Chief Ake By-Pass and Elioparanwo/Ogbogoro Road.
On Thursday, the governor participated in the May Day Workers’ rally held at the Isaac Boro Park in Port Harcourt. After speeches from chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Chief Chris Oruge, and his counterpart from the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Chika Onuegbu, the governor stood for the march past which lasted over an hour.
The governor later addressed the labour unions. He berated labour for failing  to stand for Nigeria during the crisis, saying “there has not been any-successful democracy in Nigeria without the contribution of the NLC and TUC. Remember Abacha’s struggle and remember the roles played by NLC and TUC. Now, what is happening currently is frightening to me and so I have therefore, decided to stay in my house and allow you to do what you want to do.”
The Rivers State governor also expressed worry over the high rate of corruption in the country and the labour’s failure to hold the political class accountable, while attributing the rising kidnappings and violence in the North to social inequality.
“If you listened to the speech of the chairman of the Trade Union Congress, he said  the reason for which kidnapping is around is the presence of social inequality, social injustice. Few Nigerians just sit down and cart away our money and then you think that we will not die of hunger and because there is hunger in the land, there is bound to be  violence. The fact that they are stealing the money leads to social and economic violence.
Consequently, Governor Amaechi last Thursday, during the Workers’ Day Rally, disclosed that he has released N500 million to settle salaries and arrears of traffic marshals under the employment of the State Traffic Management Agency (TMARIV).
In the words of the governor, “I told the chairman of NLC that you are blackmailing me here… I told him that last night. I released N500 million for the salaries. Instead of announcing that, he made demands. So, as I am talking to you, I have directed the SSG to pay N500 million depending on how much we are owing them.”
The governor also promised to build a labour house that will house both NLC and TUC in the state, reasoning that building separate secretariats will require enormous resources.
On Friday, the governor took time to inspect the level of ongoing work at the new “Literary Village” along the Chief Ake Road. The new village is to house the new library and writers’ village as part of activities to mark the Port Harcourt World Book Capital celebrations.