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I met high level of poverty –Nwifuru
Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru, yesterday, said he met high level of poverty when he assumed office.
He also said he met misunderstanding between workers and government and discovered that the workers were not at fault in the government/workers’ impasse.
The governor stated this in his office at Centenary City, New Government House, Abakaliki, when thousands of workers in the state besieged his office to appreciate him for paying each of them N100,000 as Christmas bonus and the reforms he has brought in the state civil service system.
He said the workers deserved the best and are not getting what they should be getting as reward 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 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.
“I want you to know that this is just the beginning and I want to tell you for so many of you that know me very well, it is better to quarrel with me than to praise me because this appreciation is a great challenge to the people of Ebonyi State.
“This appreciation you show to me, I am so sure many workers in other states will be envying you. I am very happy because the workers of Ebonyi State always go for the best.
The person you selected to be the NLC chairman is one of our best and it is good for you to go for your best,” he said.
Earlier, Chairman of NLC, Ebonyi State chapter, Ogugua Egwu, and his TUC counterpart, Chidi Igboji, commended the governor for “paying gratuities and pensions of workers since the creation of the state, Christmas bonus and other benefits to Ebonyi workers.”
They described the governor as a man with ‘renewed hope and renewed energy’, while congratulating him on his victory at the Supreme Court.
