Ex-aide kicks as Wike approves promotion of civil servants in Rivers

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, has approved promotion for civil servants, assuring them his administration will implement outstanding promotion of state workers and fulfil the promise of employing 10,000 youths into the service.

The governor said he has forwarded the list of members of the Civil Service Commission to the State House of Assembly for screening because they will oversee the process to fruition.

Wike disclosed this, yesterday, when he received a delegation led by the Chairman of Rivers State branch of Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Alex Agwanwor, and the Chairman of the Joint Negotiating Council (JNC), Emechete Chuku, at Government House in Port Harcourt.

But a former Senior Special Assistant to the Governor, Oraye St. Franklin, in a statement, yesterday, said vacancies at Rivers State Civil Service have existed for about five years.

“What we saw in the last seven years were selective and secret employment of associates and community members of the governor. The compromised and tribalised Rivers State University employment saga is still fresh in our minds.

“To now suddenly open up employment days to election is at best a desperate response to the rejection notice served by Rivers people. Rivers people are smart. They will take the employment, but sustain their rejection of a government that has largely weaponised poverty.”

But speaking further, Wike accused the former leader of NLC in the State, Beatrice Itubo, of peddling lies against his administration that pensioners were owed 15 months of entitlements.

“We have been paying pension and gratuities every month. Not less than three point something billion naira is set aside for that purpose, including payment of benefits.

“In fact, the former Accountant General of the State told me, yesterday, that those of 2016 and 2017 have been cleared, but you hear her (Beatrice Itubo) go to say that that we have not paid for 15 months. That is unfair.”

“How will a government, it has never happened in this state, that built a secretariat for NLC and TUC at the same time be anti-labour?”

Wike noted that Itubo was also involved in other antagonistic activities that totally destroyed the cordial relationship that once existed between workers and the state government.

He blamed her for the delay workers had witnessed in getting their due promotion, but said with the new NLC executive in place, promotion will be implemented for workers expeditiously.

The governor said Rivers workers should be excited and enthusiastic about the opportunity they now enjoy and ensure that Siminialayi Fubara wins his election.

In his address, Rivers NLC Chairman, Alex Agwanwor, said his executive committee, elected two days ago, came to present themselves to the governor and pledge their loyalty to his administration.

In his remarks, Rivers chairman of Joint Negotiating Council, Chuku, acknowledged the infrastructural development strides of Wike’s administration and said it was sad that the former NLC leadership could not sustain a cordial workers-government relationship.