Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara has expressed hope in President Bola Tinubu to consider the concerns of the organised labour and address them in ways that will assuage their apprehensions.
Sir Fubara expressed hope when he received members of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) on their nationwide two-day protest who stopped in front of Government House in Port Harcourt on Tuesday.
Represented by the Head of the Rivers State Civil Service, Dr George Nwaeke, the governor noted that the issues contained in the letter handed over to him by the protesters were purely in the domain of the federal government.
“We have seen what you listed in your demands; they are all national issues and we have hope in the Renewed Hope Agenda of the federal government. I know Governor Fubara will also deliver this message as presented by you to Mr President.”
Governor Fubara, however, assured that his administration will not hesitate to do whatever is within its powers to continue to reduce the level of suffering occasioned by the growing economic hardship.
The governor said, aside from the provision of palliative buses for all residents, his administration was developing 20,000 housing units for low-income earners to live in decent houses.
Governor Fubara also referred to the completion of the employment processes of 10,000 youths into the state civil service, promotion of all categories of civil servants and directing promotion to be done whenever it was due.
According to him, in December, civil servants got N100,000 paid to them as a Christmas bonus and it served as part of ongoing measures outlined to better the lot of Rivers people.
In his presentation, Rivers State Chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Alex Agwanwor said the organised labour demand amongst others that the federal government declared a state of emergency in the energy sector.
He said labour also demands that there should be increased investment in transportation, end all illegal levies collected from petty traders across the country and fast-track the implementation of the minimum wage for workers.
