Ebonyi Workers Enjoying Cosy Atmosphere Under Governor Nwifuru

Ebonyi Workers Enjoying Cosy Atmosphere Under Governor Nwifuru

In Ebonyi State, Governor Francis Nwifuru and workers share a healthy relationship. And it brings to an end the many years of frosty co-existence between organized labour and government in the state.

The sour relationship between organized labour and the government in the state became full-blown during the tenure of Chief Martin Elechi (2007-2015) as governor when the then chairman of the NLC, Comrade Onyemachi Eke, was abducted, stripped, whisked away and dumped on the road after torture by suspected thugs. The suspected political thugs carried out the assault against Eke for mobilizing workers against the government to constantly agitate for their welfare.

The incident, which generated widespread condemnation within and outside the state, made workers and government to remain like cat and mouse till the end of that administration. There were several of industrial actions by NLC and TUC during that administration to press home their demands for improved conditions of service for workers in the state.

Elechi’s deputy, David Umahi, who was warming up to succeed him in 2015, made workers’ welfare one of the items on his manifesto. He promised to increase their salary by 100%, if elected the governor. He eventually became governor but workers’ salaries were not increased as he promised.

The chairman of NLC then, Comrade Ikechukwu Nwafor, started pushing for the increase in workers’ salaries, which pitted him against the state government. There were a series of strikes by NLC and TUC in the state over the workers’ pay, which made the state government to factionalize organized labour into three.

The Junior Workers Association, which never existed in the history of organized labour in the state and the entire country, emerged. Also, a factional chairman of NLC in the state, Leonard Nkah, emerged and had the support of the state government, while Ikechukwu Nwafor had the support of the national body of the union. Nwafor and Nkah were leading workers under the state and federal levels, respectively, and NLC became a laughing stock in the state.

The national body of NLC conducted another election after Nwafor’s tenure elapsed and Comrade Egwu Ogugua was elected chairman of the union in the Ebonyi, a few months to the 2023 general election.

Governor Francis Nwifuru embraced the union and started relating with workers very well. He first increased their salaries by N10,000 each, cleared the backlog of gratuities of retired civil servants from the time the state was created in 1996 to the time he became governor, which amounted to billions of naira.

He also paid all the arrears of salaries of Ebonyi State University (EBSU) staff, procured vehicles to be conveying workers to and from work to cushion the effects of fuel subsidy removal by the federal government.

The governor ordered the recruitment of over 1,000 workers into the state’s civil service system for optimum productivity. This was apart from the over 100 medical personnel across the 13 general hospitals in the state to tackle the dearth of manpower in the hospitals and improve healthcare delivery in the rural areas.

When it was time for Christmas celebration in 2023, Nwifuru approved payment of N100,000 as bonus to all the workers in the state. He made the approval during elders’ and widows’ Christmas party in Abakaliki, the state capital.

The mammoth crowd that attended the occasion erupted in celebration immediately he made the pronouncement. Nwifuru who was addressing them couldn’t continue his speech following joyful noise that enveloped the environment.

The following day, the workers all received bank alerts for the N100,000 Christmas bonus. A few days after receiving the alerts. all the workers in the state closed their offices and staged a solidarity march to appreciate the governor.

The workers marched round the streets in Abakaliki during the rally and went to Nwifuru’s office where they were addressed by the governor, who was caught unawares by the workers. The workers were led by some of the present and past leaders, including Comrade Chimere Nwugo, Comrade Kingsley Ogba, Comrade Onyemachi Ekeh, Comrade Ikwchukwu Nwafor, Comrade Patrick Ekwe, Comrade Egwu Ogugua and Comrade Michael Nwonu, among others.

Addressing the jubilant workers before Nwifuru came out of his office to address them, Comrade Nwugo said: “We have never seen the type of good tidings we are seeing in Ebonyi State from 1996 the state was created till today, we have never seen this before. Time has gone when workers in the state will be divided with N1,000 to every worker.

“One of our leaders in the past, Onyemachi Eke, was abducted and whisked away inside car boot and some of us went behind and divided organized labour in the state. Some collected N5,000, some N10,000 . After spending the money, where are they today? Some of them are no more in this planet with us.

“After examining the sufferings of workers, the first step Governor Nwifuru took on assumption of office was in favour of all workers. Nwifuru has changed our lives, he has touched our lives greatly. Nwifuru is the only person we know till 2027 and beyond. After ruling as governor, we will send him to another position because he has shown capacity, he has shown commitment in governance.”

On his part, Comrade Ikechukwu Nwafor said: “There was a governor in this state that made so many promises to workers and when it was time to implement those promises, he said that he was not God that keeps promises. Nwifuru didn’t make any promise to us but he has started implementing promises.

“In every state where you are going to have good relationship with labour, there must be suffering and that was what we have suffered before our tears were wiped away by Governor Nwifuru. Today, that suffering has yielded results. We thank Nwifuru for insisting that what happened before will not happen again.

“It is in only in Ebonyi that people want to have two labour unions: Junior Workers Association, state NLC and national NLC but Nwifuru came in and said no to such situation. Some people even went to him and told him to have two labour. I am telling you the truth, but he said no, he said he doesn’t want it. He boldly told them that he doesn’t want two labour unions in Ebonyi.

“Nwifuru doesn’t have time for division in labour, he has brought labour together, he has brought workers together and we must be together to support him. Nwifuru has surprised workers, we are going to surprise him. We must give him a good surprise, we must support him.

“We didn’t suffer to get peace, we must support the governor. Nobody was locked in Ebonyi State to get peace. In our own days, we were locked in the police, beaten up, still they refused to give us what belongs to us. But today, it has come, a true Ebonyian has become the governor of Ebonyi State.”

Nwifuru while addressing the workers said he met high level of poverty when he assumed office. He also said that he met misunderstanding between workers and government and discovered that the workers were not at fault in the government/workers impasse.

He opined that the workers deserved the best and were not getting what they deserved, which according to him, motivated him to be paying serious attention to them to better their lots.

“Sincerely, we are steering this ship together. We are all sanctioned to take a very key responsibility for the interest of our great people, the great Ebonyians. That we must do with a very key interest of development, of love and peace to one another.

“I was severely challenged when I came into office. The level of poverty, the level of misunderstanding between the workers and the management leaders of our dear state was very high. I looked critically and discovered that our workers did absolutely nothing.

“Like I have said in different fora, if you take what governors spend in the area of travelling,, doing unnecessary expenses, it is less than what our workers need,” he said.

During 2024 Workers Day in the state, the governor added N20,000 to the salary of every worker in the state, which was greeted with joy by the workers who assured him of total support to his administration. Nwifuru while addressing the workers, promised them better condition of service by his administration.

When the federal government signed the new national minimum wage bill, the governor immediately started paying the wage to the state civil servants and also paid N100,000 Christmas bonus to them in 2024 when he started implementing the new national minimum wage.

During this year’s Workers’ Day, the governor ordered payment of N10,000 each to the workers for their lunch and urged them to continue to discharge their duties with integrity, passion and professionalism to reciprocate the good gesture they are enjoying under his administration, including prompt payment of their salaries. He disclosed that he had cleared all the pensions and gratuities of retired workers in the state from 1996 till date.

The governor described workers as bedrock of his administration, drivers of public service, and vital force behind the daily implementation of government policies and programmes. He said that he remains resolute in his determination to prioritize their welfare, uphold the dignity of labour and ensure that civil and public service systems were not only effective but reflective of equity, productivity and innovation.

“As your governor, I remain resolute in my pledge to prioritize your welfare, uphold the dignity of labour, and ensure that the civil and public service systems are not only efficient but reflective of equity, productivity, and innovation. Guided by our people’s charter of needs agenda, we are committed to engender a work environment that empowers you to thrive, grow, and deliver quality service to the people of Ebonyi State.

“The position I occupy brings me to a vantage point where all the goings-on are brought to my attention for necessary action. In fact, all bucks stop on my table. This is why I said I understand the challenges you face, and I assure you that this administration is focused on tackling them head-on.

“As you all know, we have already taken concrete steps to improve prompt salary payments, expand opportunities for capacity development and provide conducive workspaces, and reviewed outdated administrative structures. These efforts are not just promises, they are responsibilities that we are actively executing. Currently, we are not owing pensions and gratuities.

“We are putting in place, a system that clears your gratuity less than one hour after exiting our service as a retiree. This, you can agree with, will reduce the risks of running around to process your retirement and its bottlenecks. I am glad to inform you we have reached advanced stage in this regard.

“As I join you to celebrate today, let me reaffirm, that under my watch, Ebonyi State Civil Service shall be a symbol of excellence, integrity and envy of all. Similarly, our administration is stickler of excellence and will continue to pursue merit-based advancement, continuous training, and a digital transformation of service delivery.

“We are also pursuing a reward system to ensure excellence, punctuality and professional discharge of assigned duties by any worker is appreciated publicly and rewarded commensurately to encourage others as we collectively aspire for excellence in Ebonyi State Civil Service. In this regard, therefore, no worker will be left behind, and every contribution shall be valued and rewarded,” he said.

@COPIED