The Sole Administrator of the Rivers State Waste Management Agency (RIWAMA), Bro Felix Obuah, says restoring Port Harcourt, the state capital to its former Garden City status remains a priority to Governor Nyesom Wike.
Obuah stated this while receiving the Executive Council of the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations Civil Service, Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE), Rivers State branch in his office yesterday.
The union’s delegation, led by its state Chairman, Comrade Henry Urombo, was on a courtesy visit to the sole administrator.
Addressing his august visitors, the sole administrator said the State Waste Management Agency was not spared of the looting spree by the former administration, wondering what joy the previous administration derived in running almost all government departments and agencies aground before leaving office.
Obuah, who is also the chairman of the state chapter of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), enjoined the leadership and members of AUPCTRE to oblige the new administration led by Chief Nyesom Wike their maximum and unflinching support in his efforts and determination to steer the state’s economy back on track with a view to putting smiles on the faces of workers in the state and the Rivers people in general.
He said Wike has already set the ball rolling by clearing the arrears of eight months’ salaries owed by the former administration to the Sharks and Dolphins Football Clubs, paid pensioners’ allowances as well as two months’ salary arrears to civil servants, and has updated their monthly salaries up to June.
“All that is expected of you, and indeed, all Rivers people is your support, encouragement and prayers for Governor. Wike”, the sole administrator charged the visiting unionists.
Regretting the huge debt of over N2 billion he inherited from the previous managers of the agency who also failed to officially hand over to him, Obuah said he would not leave any stone unturned to improve the welfare of the staff of the agency, stressing that no worker would be victimized under his watch.
Obuah happily announced to his visitors of the opening of new standard staff canteen for the Waste Management Agency to end their many years of longing for such a necessary recreational facility.
Speaking earlier, the Chairman of the union, Comrade Henry Urombo, had congratulated the sole administrator on his well-deserved appointment.
He assured the sole administrator that workers will do all within their power to co-operate with the present administration, and will adopt dialogue and not strike in resolving conflicting interests, and wished the sole administrator a successful tenure.