Governor  of Rivers State,  Sir Siminalayi Fubara,  has hailed  the  Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress ( TUC) and all affiliate unions in the state, for choosing dialogue rather than confrontation in resolving trade disputes, saying this mature approach to labour unionism has promoted industrial harmony in Rivers State.

In a goodwill message to the workers of Rivers State on May Day 2026, Governor Fubara said the peace enjoyed at work places across the state is a product of the maturity of the leadership of the  organised labour and enjoined them to  keep the dialogue table open and industrial relations in the state, progressive.

Fubara expressed gratitude to all workers in the  Rivers State Civil Service for  their contributions towards the development of the state and pledged that his administration will continue to ensure that  their  welfare and wellbeing  remain a priority. He disclosed that the  State Secretariat Complex rehabilitation is ongoing and  when completed, will improve the work environment and  promote efficiency and productivity in the civil service.

In the past 35 months, Fubara said,  the civil servants  have maintained peace, harmony  and  stability despite the  political storms in the state. He assured them that  their dedication  and sacrifice will not be in vain.

“Despite political storms, you did not down tools.  Our schools did not shut. Our hospitals did not close. That is because you chose service over strife. Rivers State owes you a debt of gratitude. On our part, salaries have been paid  promptly  every  consecutive month. Pensions are being cleared.  Let me assure you that no  senior citizen who served this state will be left behind.

“Today, Rivers State stands still to honour the people who keep it moving. You are the teachers in Khana and Ahoada who show up even when the rain is heavy. You are the nurses at Rivers State University Teaching Hospital  ( RSUTH) who hold the night shift with grace. You are the civil servants in the State Secretariat who turn policy into service, the engineers on the Port Harcourt Ring Road braving the sun, the sanitation workers who give us clean streets before the city wakes, and the farmers and artisans whose labour feeds our economy.

“My charge to you this May Day: Keep being the difference. Be diligent and give your best to Rivers State. The road from Degema to Port Harcourt is shorter today because an engineer woke up to work. A child in Etche can read because a teacher refused to give up. That is the Rivers story. You are the authors,”  Fubara said.

The governor in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary,Onwuka Nzeshi, acknowledged that while the cost of living has tested every household and transport to work takes more from the  pocket, the average worker has not given up  because of their  belief  in Rivers State, adding that his administration will not betray that  trust.