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By Joel Anekwe
The Rivers State Government has lifted the ban on employments and promotions in the state civil service which has been on hold for up to 10 years now.
The state governor, Chief Nyesom Wike announced the decision Wednesday during the 2019 Workers Day celebration at the Yakubu Gowon Stadium Elekahia Port Harcourt.
The governor who was represented by his deputy, Dr. Ipalibo Harry Banigo said the chairman of the Civil Service Commission had already been directed to conduct interviews and effect recruitment of Rivers indigenes to fill existing vacancies as part of efforts to strengthen the civil service, as well as promote civil servants to their next salary grades.
He said the state government is committed to tackling social issues by creating the enabling environment for the private sector to create jobs and empower our youths.
“We are also strengthening our educational system to ensure that our graduates are imbued with appropriate skills and the mindset to become job creators rather than job seekers and will also continue to implement effective policies and programmes that will address and lift our people from poverty to economic prosperity,” Wike said.
The governor disclosed that government had started implementing the N100, 000,000.00 interest free-loan to civil servants in a bid to advance the welfare and wellbeing of civil servants.
He promised to pay the new minimum wage as soon as he receives the official transmission of the relevant memo from the Federal Government while noting that the Pension Reform Bill before the State House of Assembly when passed into law would bring into existence a seamless and positive scheme for workers in the state.
Wike, who described his administration as worker-friendly, said despite financial challenges his government is up to date on the payment of salaries and pensions to working and retired civil servants, stressing that his promise to construct befitting secretariats for the state’s Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) has been fulfilled and will soon be handed over.
Earlier, the state chairman of the Nigerian Labour Congress, Beatrice Itubo, said the “Labour family in Rivers State as a critical development partner is satisfied with the massive infrastructure development embarked upon by the Governor Nyesom Wike-led administration.”
She noted the state governor’s commitment in responding to the payment of the new minimum wage, saying “Our thanks goes to the government of Rivers State under the leadership of Governor Wike for showing preparedness to pay the new national minimum wage as soon as formalities are done with.”
Urging the state government to see the need for harmonization of pension to benefit pensioners who retired before the implementation of the new pension bill, the NLC state boss further urged the government to seriously address the issue of insecurity in the state.
Itubo congratulated Governor Wike and his deputy for their victory at the election saying the election was a referendum on Wike’s performance in the last 4 years, noting that the victory was an indication that a large number of the voting public in the state are happy with the governor.
Also, the chairman of Trade Union Congress, Comrade Austin Jonah, reiterated the commitment of the labour movement to continually seek improvement on existing working conditions of workers.
