Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State has reassured workers in the state of his administration’s commitment to continue to give priority attention to their welfare as critical stakeholders in the state’s progress and development.
Gov. Ugwuanyi maintained that under his watch, the welfare of the workers and the improvement of work conditions will remain one of the cardinal objectives of his administration.
The governor who spoke during the opening ceremony of the 2019 Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) National Leadership Retreat held at Nike Lake Resort Hotel, Enugu, on Tuesday, added that the state government has sustained the prompt and regular payment of salaries, allowances and pensions.
He disclosed that that his administration “judiciously utilized the bailout funds and Paris Club refunds from the federal government strictly for the purposes for which they were secured”, adding that it has also kept faith with the novel initiative of paying the 13th Month salary to its workforce.
Reassuring the state’s workers of a better deal on the issues of wages, regular payment of salaries and enhanced work conditions, Gov. Ugwuanyi pointed out that no meaningful progress can be made in the implementation of government development agenda without the active collaboration and cooperation of the workers.
“As a government, we will continue to do everything that is possible and practicable to sustain the wonderful relationship that currently exists between the state government and the organized labour”, the governor said.
While commending the national leadership of NLC for organizing the retreat, the governor noted that such an exercise was central to capacity building, agenda setting and redirecting leadership focus on domestic issues, global trends and challenges of the times.
He expressed delight that the retreat brought together the state councils to chart common goals with the national leadership corps in one forum and under the same roof, saying: “I am confident that at the end of the retreat, the participants would be further enriched by the plenary lectures, interactive and policy sessions from the eminent resource persons that the congress has assembled”.
In his opening remark, the NLC President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba appreciated Gov. Ugwuanyi for his presence at the event, his hospitality and the serenity of the state, describing the governor as a labour-friendly governor.
He stated that the national leadership retreat was necessitated by the need to for orientation, familiarization and capacity building for the new leadership against the background of the experiences of past years and contemporary happenings.
