The Nigeria Civil Service Union (NCSU) has said that civil servants in Rivers State are not celebrating this year’s May Day with fanfare, pomp and pageantry, following the prevailing state of emergency in the State.
The Rivers State Chairman of NCSU, Comrade Chukwuka Richman Osumah, who gave the indication in an interview in Port Harcourt, said the workers have nothing to celebrate during the forthcoming May Day, because of the existing emergency rule in the State, which equally necessitated the suspension of the State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara.
He said the civil servants would not celebrate the May Day with the traditional fanfare, as a mark of honour and solidarity for Governor Fubara, who he noted had given them a new lease of life and unprecedented sense of belonging, for close to two years of his administration.
He noted that the civil servants’ decision not to mark the May Day with the accompanying merriments and celebrations, emanated from the fact that the national secretariat of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) had directed all affiliate labour unions in the State, not to celebrate the day with fanfare, as a way of demanding the restoration of democratic governance in Rivers State.
While aligning himself with the position of NLC, Osumah said he is also in support of the umbrella union’s directive to all the unions to carry out rallies within its premises in Port Harcourt on that day, to press home its demand for restoration of democratic rule in the State.
According to him, civil servants in the State would continue to support and rally round Governor Fubara, following his good works in office, coupled with the fact that he has given them a new lease of life.
The labour leader said the massive pro-Fubara protests going on in some parts of the State, are strong indications that the suspended Governor is the people’s Governor, and also proofs that he is truly loved by the people, and advised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to put the necessary machinery in place to reinstate him without further delay.
He described as a welcomed development the reported meeting between President Tinubu and Governor Fubara in London, saying, it is a bold and pragmatic move for the President to correct the wrongs meted out against the Governor.
He said if not for anything, the purported meeting had afforded Governor Fubara the opportunity to debunk the series of lies and malicious allegations levelled against him before the President by some mischief makers.
Osumah, however, condemned the alleged stoppage of the payment of gratuities and pensions to retired civil servants in the State by the Sole Administrator of the State, Vice Admiral Ibok Ibas(rtd), describing the action as wicked and anti-people.
He noted that the NCSU had received several complaints from the affected retirees and others whose biometric exercises to capture and enroll them into the payroll of the state government had been abruptly halted by the administrator. He said the union is currently reviewing the situation, with a viewing to taking appropriate actions, and regretted a situation where the administrator is clearly pursuing some agenda, which are at variance with the clear mandate of restoring peace and sanitising the State given to him by President Tinubu following the lingering political crisis rocking the State.
