Group Wants RSHA To Investigate Sack In PHED

An association of
unemployed persons, Rivers Unemployed Protection Mandate (RUPM), has called on the Rivers State House of Assembly to carry out a thorough investigation on the alleged unfair sack of Rivers indigenes by authorities of the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHED).
RUPM Chairman, Timothy Maxwell, while reacting to the incident last Friday in an interview with The Tide in Port Harcourt, expressed concern over the allegation.
He said it would amount to a great injustice of indigenes of the state working in a critical organisation as PHED could be made to suffer such treatment and stressed the need for urgent justice.
“We learnt of the issue and became interested. But we want to be careful because at the stage it is, it can best be viewed as allegation hence we want authorities of the state, particularly the State House of Assembly  to carry out a thorough investigation on the matter and if found to be true, then the right thing should be done without delay”, Maxwell stated.
Maxwell expressed regret that in spite of thousands of opportunities and the presence of qualified Rivers State persons, members were being denied such opportunities and noted that the mandate which interest revolves around helping members to secure job placements and to also protect employment potentials for Rivers indigenes would no longer fold its hands to allow such opportunities pass them by.
He appealed to companies operating in the state to refrain from tempering with job opportunities meant for indigenes of the state.
“We shall take all legal processes to protect our job opportunities as well as ensure that whatever that is meant for us would be secured”, he said adding that the group does not object to indigenes of other states or nationalities working in the state because of the abundant opportunities.
It would be recalled that 30 indigenes of the state stormed the zonal office of PHED on Moscow Road Port Harcourt in protect against their alleged arbitrary sack.
The protesters alleged that indigenes of the state in the employ of the power firm were being treated as slaves and urged Rivers State Government to investigate their claims so as to reinstate them.

Chris Oluoh