Niger Delta
Oborevwori Tasks Workers’ Union In Delta Dev Advancement
Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, on Wednesday, charged labour unions to partner with the government to deliver his administration’s agenda to advance the development of the state.
The Governor gave the charge at a One-Day Workshop for state Labour union Leaders, Wednesday, in Asaba.
The workshop was organised by the Office of Labour Relations and SERVICOM, domiciled in the office of the Senior Policy Adviser to the governor
The Tide’s source reports that the theme of the workshop is, “Enhancing Labour-Government Relations”.
The Governor, who was represented by his deputy, Mr Monday Onyeme, said the workshop was timely and most appropriate, given the contemporary national economic experience.
“When we talk about the organised labour, we talk about umbrella bodies of all workers in all sectors of the economy, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC)”, he said.
Oborevwori appealed to the union and the workers to key into the administration’s agenda to ensure success for all in the state.
“This is the best way to go if we must be comfortable in our place of work, our homes and wherever we find ourselves.
“As a government, we shall continue to encourage people of Delta to put in their best in their jobs to excel in their chosen fields of life.
“Be assured that we shall continue to place high priority on the welfare of workers, implement staff-friendly policies, and you should reciprocate such by bringing out your best for us to get it right as a people”, he said.
In a remark, the Delta State Head of Service, Mr Reginald Bayoko, said the dialogue between organized labour and government in Nigeria had been fraught with challenges.
Bayoko said miscommunication, unmet expectations and unresolved grievances had often escalated into conflict, which had undermined public service delivery and welfare of workers.
He said the era of frosty relations must give way to a new dawn of partnership and collaboration.
“We are here to redefine our approach to labour-government relations to embrace dialogue over confrontation, and to seek solutions that benefits all stakeholders.
“Accordingly, the significance of today’s workshop cannot be overstated. It offers a platform to reflect, learn and plan”, Bayoko said.
Earlier, the Senior Policy Adviser to the Governor, Mr Funkekeme Solomon, thanked the Governor for the support to organise the workshop.
“It underscores the premium the governor attaches to building and sustaining the harmonious and good working relationship existing between the state government and organised labour”, he said.
On his part, the Chairman, State Trade Union Congress (TUC), Mr Martins Bolum, lauded the state government for the training and collaboration with the workers’ union.
He pledged the union`s readiness to sustained the peaceful relationship between the workers and the government.
“In Delta we don’t fight, we preempt the challenges, our relationship with government has remained cordial”, he said.
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Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno, has approved the sum of N2 billion for the payment of gratuities for April, 2024.
Eno announced the approval while addressing workers at the 2024 May Day celebration in Uyo.
He said the State Government had so far disbursed about N16.1 billion for the payment of gratuities to retired civil servants in the state.
”We disburse money every month for the payment of gratuities to our retirees. I have approved another N2 billion for gratuity payment for April”, he said.
The Governor promised to implement the national minimum wage to workers in the state, once approved by the Federal Government.
”We are waiting for the process to be concluded and approved. We shall pay the new minimum wage to our workers”, he said.
According to him, Akwa Ibom State Government would recruit more healthcare workers to ensure effective service delivery in the health sector.
Eno pledged his administration’s commitment to promote the welfare of workers.
”I urge workers in the state to key into our government’s development agenda in the interest of our people”, he said.
Earlier, the State Chairman, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Sunny James, urged the Governor to implement the national minimum wage in the state.
He urged governments at all levels to take steps towards cushioning the effect of the current economic hardship on the people.
The NLC Chairman urged Eno to provide vehicles for civil servants to lighten the burden of transportation on them.
Also speaking, the Chairman, Trade Union Congress, Comrade Dominic Abang, urged the Governor to tackle fraud in pension administration in the state.
Abang also called for the expansion of the state’s social register to accommodate more persons and ensure wider reach during the distribution of free food items.
Paramount Ruler of Owei-wari Community of Biseni Clan in the Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, HRH Elijah Opia Churchman, has alleged that some members of the political class in the clan were against the socio-economic prosperity and development of his community.
The royal father stated this recently at the State Secretariat complex, Yenagoa, the state capital, during an interview with Journalists shortly after his exit from the Federal High Court, Yenagoa, where he said he was currently pursuing a case the community instituted against some alleged anti-development agents.
He said while the Owei-wari Community used to be a compound in one of the communities of the kingdom, some years ago as landlords and host of an oil firm operating in the area, the compound having been overwhelmed by the constant outcry of marginalization by its people, moved for recognition as an autonomous community in the clan.
The monarch, who also bared his mind on the intentions of a group called “the Progressive Minded forum of Biseni clan”, said the group has been a strong advocate of the creation of more clans for the people of Biseni in which his community would also be a clan.
He reaffirmed his commitment to the continued pursuit of peace, progress and development of his community and the entire clan, noting, however, that for years now some members of the political class in the area have conspicuously been working against the realization of the dreams and yearnings of the Owei-wari Community.
“We’re working assiduously to see that at least six clans are created in the current Biseni clan so that Owei-wari Community with over 13 settlements becomes one of them, but some politicians and a few of their followers in the clan are working against us for no obvious reasons.
“We’ve advised the King of Biseni Clan that his scope of domain should extend to all Biseni communities and lands from the Orashi River, River Nun, through River Niger so that he can oversee the entire six clans that we plan to create in the kingdom.
“In our thinking as it were, now that we’ve Okordia/Biseni/Zarama in Yenagoa Local Government Area for the state House of Assembly constituency, when more clans are created in Biseni in which communities like Egbebiri, Tein, Toboru, Akpede and Owei-wari would become clans, then as a kingdom, whenever it’s our turn to produce the Assembly member we can then rotate it amongst the clans in Biseni Kingdom and not as it were presently”, the royal father said.
He continued that, “We think that it’s going to be of political, social and economic advantage to us as a clan, but some members of the political class were bent on undoing Owei-wari Community and the clan in general.
“As a community, recently we’ve written to the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) to develop all the satellite villages and fishing camps to modern cities in Owei-wari and make them economically viable.
“So, by our expectations, some are to have the status of academic cities, industrial cities, etc.”.
Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa
Some workers in Cross River State have expressed disappointment at Governor Bassey Otu’s announcement pegging the new minimum wage for workers in the state at N40,000.
The workers shared their displeasure in separate interviews with The Tide’s source in Calabar.
It will be recalled that Otu, while addressing workers on Wednesday, said that the State Government would pay N40,000 as the new minimum wage to its workers.
The Governor had listed lean allocation from the centre and unfavourable Gross Domestic Product to debt servicing ratio as some of the reasons for the decision.
Eno said the State Government would rely on the realities of the time in making decisions towards the implementation of the new minimum wage.
Speaking to the source, Mr Emmanuel Ekanem, a civil servant in the state, described the N40,000 announced by the Governor as “far below” the expectations of workers.
He said such pronouncement did not showcase the Governor as a leader who understood the yearnings of his people.
”At a time when a bag of rice is sold between N70,000 and N80,000, declaring N40,000 as minimum wage is terribly poor and unacceptable”, he said.
Mrs Isu Ewe, a judiciary staff, said she was disappointed at the pronouncement, and urged the Governor to take another look at the decision.
”I expected to hear at least N60,000 as the new minimum wage for the workers in the state. The hardship is too much.
”What can N40,000 buy? Workers have school fees to pay, parents to take care of and rent to pay.
”The Governor should really look at the situation of things in the country and do something about the take-home of workers”, she said.
Another civil servant, Mr Edem Enoh, said workers did not expect such pronouncement from the Governor, describing it as hasty.
He urged the State Government to avoid over-dependence on federal allocation, look inwards and devise other sources of income.
”The welfare of the people should be top on the government’s priority list. This pronouncement is hasty and unacceptable”, he said.
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