Joe Effiong, Uyo
Akwa Ibom State government has promised to implement the new Minimum Wage Act after necessary documentations have been affected.
Gov Udom Emmanuel, who made the promise while addressing workers on May Day celebration in Uyo Township Stadium on Wednesday, said his administration would remain passionately committed the welfare of workers to the full extent of the resources available and would always keep a listening ear to their issues and concerns so that the peace enjoyed all-round would continue to flourish and abound in the state.
While urging the organised labour to continue to support his policy drive toward sustainable development, the governor enjoined the workers not to be willing tools in the hands of some mischief makers whose stock-in-trade is to disseminate falsehood and propaganda, all aimed at de-marketing the state and its achievements.
“About four years ago when I assumed office as the governor of this state, the economic frontiers were hazy and mired in uncertainties. The nation was going through severe economic challenges and the ability of the newly-sworn governors to fulfil critical obligations such as payment of salaries became a huge nightmare. Several state governments owed salaries to their workers and pensions and gratuities were affected.
“To the glory of God serve and through prudent management of the lean resources available to us, we were able to not only pay our salaries regularly but we went ahead to pay pensions and gratuities, an act we are still executing.
“You will recall that one of the first tasks I performed shortly after being sworn in was to clear a10-year back-log of pensions and gratuities and I still, recall the happiness and excitement you all felt when that intervention was done. The letters of appreciation you wrote to me are still on my desk as I speak,” the governor said.
The speaker of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Mr Onofiok Luke, who also addressed the workers urged President Muhammadu Buhari to adopt a bipartisan approach in tackling the lingering insecurity in the country.
“I have a message for the leaders of Nigeria on this Workers Day. The time has come that the leaders must put their hands together and look beyond party lines.
“We need a bipartisan approach to solving the crises which we are facing in the country. Today there is insecurity in Nigeria, and it is affecting everyone; it is affecting the workers. I urge the president to rise and mobilise the entire leadership of Nigeria, the entire workers so that we can put a stop to this insecurity.
“Without security in the country, there is not going to be a foreign-direct investment. Without foreign direct investment, businesses are not going to expand, and without business expansions, there will be no jobs.”
Luke, who is a member-elect to the House of Reps, thanked NLC for taking advantage of the open legislature policy of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly to make contributions to the bills and motions passed by the House.
“I want to thank the NLC and the TUC for joining hands with us to make our work easy in the legislature. There is never a time that we have invited you for a public hearing that you have never turned up to make your input into the bills and the resolutions we pass.
“Let me mention here specifically that in the year 2018, the position of NLC was what led to the increase in the allocation to the social sector of the budget of that fiscal year of 2018.”
Chairman of the state NLC, Comrade Sunny James, in his address commended the House of Assembly under Onofiok Luke’s leadership for continued partnership with workers in the state.
He noted that the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly had pursued a citizen-led approach to governance having “in the past four years opened its doors to the labour movement to be involved in the lawmaking process.”
James, however, called for the signing into law “two critical legislation passed by the state House of Assembly, the youth development fund bill and the fiscal responsibility bill.”