Delta state governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan raised the hope of workers in the state on May-Day, which was workers’ day on Thursday, with a promise of extra pay package for them at the end of this year.
He said that the extra pay package will be the first of its kind since the state was created and will be aimed at encouraging them to put in their best.
“Let me assure the workers that at the end of the year, we will work out something extra, definitely, there will be extra payment for the workers.”
Governor Uduaghan assured workers of improved welfare and better working conditions to enable them meet the financial difficulties at the Christman and new year festivities.
The Governor emphasized that workers deserved to be motivated and appreciated for the roles they are playing in ensuring increased productivity, stable government and virile economy.
He acknowledged that unemployment has become a global phenomenon and that leaders of countries have been forced to resign because of their inability to tackle unemployment.
“The biggest challenge today is unemployment. It is a worldwide phenomenon and as a state, we are working hard to reduce the number of unemployed citizens. “Under the Delta Beyond Oil, we have been able to create opportunities for our women and youths to be engaged and become employers of labour.”
The Governor promised that his administration will employ more teachers and health workers within the next few weeks in addition to the ongoing employment into the Delta State Civil Service, even as he lamented that some unscrupulous persons are trying to thwart government’s good intention to conduct fresh recruitment into the state’s civil service. He said that such people are going about collecting money from prospective job seekers before the exercise even begins.
He warned that anybody caught collecting money from job seekers would be made to face the full wrath of the law and that his administration will continue to employ qualified Deltans “based on availability of fund and declared vacancies.”
The Governor commended the organised labour for choosing ‘Peace and Unity: Panacea For Sustainable National Development’ as the theme for this year’s celebration, advising workers in particular and all Deltans in general to be security conscious.
He said that a security committee has been set up to deal with the menace of cattle rearers and strangers who do not have genuine reason to be in the state.
“Be mindful of who you take as labourers, house helps, security men, those you collect money from to live in your uncompleted buildings and those we admit into our communities because, they may be dangerous to us.”
The Governor called on Deltans to report all strange movements and faces to security operatives.
Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Delta State, Comrade Williams Akporeha in his address, commended the Uduaghan’s administration for converting a large number of casual workers into the state’s main workforce among other gestures.
Chairman of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) in the state, Comrade Mike Arinze, assured Governor Uduaghan of the continual support of organised labour in his administration’s quest to develop the state.
