What Rivers Workers Told Sole Administrator, Ibas Ibok To Mark 2025 May Day Celebrations – Full Text

PROTOCOL

The distinguished indefatigable and amiable president of Congress, Com. Joe Ajaero, the astute General secretary of congress, com Emmanuel Ugboaja, the entire leadership of Congress at the National Secretariat, the state Administrative council members, state Executive Coüncil members of Congress and the resilient, resolute, formidable and good workers of Rivers State, it is with profound humility and a sense of duty and responsibility that I stand before you today here at the Council Secretariat to address you as we commemorate the struggles of our past heroes that paid the supreme price during the Haymarket massacre that took place in Chicago in the year 1886.

Today as we mark the liberation and freedom of workers from slave masters, we remember and celebrate our part leaders in the labour movement the likes of Comrade PA Michael Imodu, Pascal Bafyau, Adams Oshiomole, Frank Kokori, etc. Dear Comrades, it is pertinent to take us down memory lane because of the Theme of this Years’ May Day celebration Raclaiming the Civic space in this Midst of Economic hardship.

Here in Rivers State, our celebration is peculiar and reminded us when the NLC was formally constituted as the only National Federation of Trade Unions in the country in 1978.

The organization has had a chequered history surviving two instances of dissolution of its National Organs and consequent appointment of state administration. The first was in 1988 under the military regime of Genera Ibrahim Babangida, while the second military intervention was in 1994 durin the regime of General Sani Abacha, whose government became fed up with th labor movements’ agitation for the restoration of DEMOCRACY.

NUPENG and PENGASSAN the two unions in the oil sector were also affectec and the finances of the two unions and NLC was plundered. Our labour Icons like Frank Kokori, the present Congress President Joe Ajaero and host of other labour leaders went through unlawful detention, arbitrations were prolonged, invasion and disruption of union meetings, seminars and other activities of congress and its components by security forces and a vicious anti labourcampaign, legislative prerogatives to unleash all manner of legislation to check the activities of unions.

Comrades in January 29, 1999 the first National Delegate Conference that ushered in Com. Adams Oshiomhole from 1999-2007 and then the democratically elected president of Nigeria Chief Olusegun Aremu Obasanjo.

Twenty six years of democratic struggles that involved active participation of our leaders in the labour movement has been with mixed stories of successes and fallures in the economy and human endeavours.

Today’s celebrations calls for sober reflection as we ruminate on the various policies of government that has brought untold and economic hardship on its citizen and the Nigeria workers are the hardest hit of the policies of this government.

One minute we are thankful for the approval and implementation of the Seventy Thousand (70,000) Naira minimum wage by the Federal Government and in less than five minutes the same Federal Government has imposed all manners of taxes on her citizen, increase in electricity tariff, hike in telecommunication tariff, high cost of goods and services occasioned by the removal of fuel subsidy without a reasonable measure to alleviate the suffering the Nigerian Workers and masses:

PENSION ARREARS AND PAYMENT OF GRATUITY:

As organized labour centre and committed and dedicated leaders of workers in the state, we will not continue to fold our hands and watch some of our heroes and veterans in the Union die in penury after putting more than half of their life existence in service and with nothing to show.

Therefore as a matter of urgency, we are demanding the Immediate payment of the backlog pension arrears owed the pensioners of Rivers State and the implementation of the N32,000 naira minimum wage approved for the federal pensioners to the Rivers State pensioners. Gratuity and death benefits of pensioners should be paid without further delay.

IMPLEMENTATION OF INCREMENTS AND PROMOTIONS AND IMPLEMENTATION OF CONTENDISS 15 FOR NON TEACHING STAFF OF POLYTECHNIC SECTOR: These are issues begging attention for so long now in the polytechnic sector and we hope and believe that the management incharge of this will brace up and do something about it.

REGULATE, RECOGNIZE, PROTECT AND ENFORCE PROPER RIDER PROFILING: Considering the importance of transportation in our day to dayactivities and the economy of Rivers State and Nigeria at large, we are compelled to express our concern as it affects the Amalgamated Union of App based transportation otherwise known as E-hailing Drivers, Government at all levels should take advantage of the modern technological advancement in the transportation sector, regulate, invest, formulate policies that will protect the drivers in the sector in order to reduce the risk of fare evasion, theft, violence experience in the organization. The contribution of the App based transporters to the economy of the state and nation at large cannot be over emphasized.

Finally, as we reflect on the happenings in Rivers State in the past one month, that is the suspension of all democratically elected government and institution in Rivers State, let us continue to remain steadfast, be law abiding and carryout our legitimate duty without fear or intimidation and avoid acts that could lead or trigger provocation.

The organized labour fought for democracy, we are a product of democracy and we will continue to fight till democracy is well entrenched in our land.

We appeal to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency Bola Ahmed Asiwaju Tinubu to use his good office, and intention to reinstate the democratically elected Governor, Deputy Governor and the members of the Rivers State House of Assembly to their offices as soon as possible.

As workers of Rivers State, we enjoy good working relationship with our elected representatives under a democratic system of government. We also urge the Sole Administrator to facilitate the peaceful reconciliation process that he has been saddled with to expedite the quick return of our elected representatives as it is in other states of the federation.