The Nigeria Civil Service Union( NCSU), Rivers State Council, says it is pained and unhappy with current trends of political violence in the State and parts of the country in recent times, and condemns in strong terms the recent attempt, by heavily armed gunmen to assassinate the Leader and Factional Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Edison Ehie.
The State Chairman of NCSU, Comrade Chukwuka Richman Osumah, who made the position of the union known while speaking with newsmen in Port Harcourt over the development, said the union is highly disturbed by the unfolding political trends in the State in recent times, adding that the attempt to assassinate the lawmaker by armed men who recently invaded his Port Harcourt residence was clearly politically motivated.
He noted that the sheer fact that the incident happened barely a few weeks after the lawmaker firmly stood behind the Governor of the State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, in the wake of moves to impeach the Number One Citizen of the State, speaks volumes.
He cautioned that civil servants in the State would not idly stand by and watch the State be turned into a political battle field, inundated with political killings by some political gladiators in the State.
Osumah said the union strongly condemns the attempt on Hon Ehie’s life and the lives of members of his family, and likened the scenario to the recent attack on the convoy of the Governor of Yobe State.
The labour leader stressed the need for all forms of political killings in the country to stop, saying, “Enough is enough”, and charged the Rivers State Police Command to thoroughly investigate the attempt to assassinate the state lawmaker, with a view to bringing those behind it to book and justice.
While harping on the need for peace to reign in the State, Osumah reiterated that civil servants in the State would continue to support the Governor Fubara administration to succeed, and urged the Governor not to be deterred and distracted by the incident in pursuing the people-oriented policies and programmes of his administration.
According to him, Governor Fubara is currently standing on the threshold of history to make a difference in governance and write his name in gold, as his administration continues to pursue its consolidation and continuity agenda.
He said civil servants in the State are so far impressed and satisfied with the way and manner the current administration is attempting to transform the State Civil Service by making sure that all entitlements of workers are promptly attended to, and urged the Governor not to rest on his oars.
Osumah equally called on the organised labour in the State, civil society groups and all well-meaning Rivers people and residents to rally round and support Governor Fubara to succeed in the face of mounting and debilitating challenges orchestrated against him by those he described as enemies of the State.