LGA Workers Suspend Strike as Fubura Intervenes in Rift with Chairman

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

Timely intervention by the Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has ended industrial action which commenced yesterday by workers of Emohua Local Government Area workers in the state, over rift with the LGA Chairman, Mr. Chidi Llyod.

Governor Fubara had after a  meeting held behind closed doors with the leadership of Rivers State Council of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), the Local Government Service Commission, and Chairman of Emohua LGA, Llyod, directed that the parties resolved their differences amicably.

In a joint press briefing after the meeting yesterday in the Government House, Port Harcourt, the Chairman of Local Government Service Commission, Israel Amadi, Emohua LGA chairman, and President of Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees, Rivers State Council, Clifford Paul, commended Governor Fubara for his intervention, and assured him that they would comply with his directive to ensure that the disputes are harmoniously resolved.

According to the chairman of the Local Government Service Commission, Amadi, “His Excellency has given his mandate and we want to use this opportunity to thank him for intervening. And we hope that everything that we have discussed and resolved will be implemented as we also thank NULGE for their collaboration and cooperation.”

Also speaking, Chidi Llyod noted that Governor Fubara has issued clear directives, and assured them that they would work together to implement the directives.

He emphasised that the governor had further directed that the Council and the Local Government Service Commission should take it further, noting that: “We will come out very soon with all that we have agreed.”

Lloyd further thanked the president of NULGE for appealing to his workers to call off the strike, assuring him that they will move forward together, and that it is nothing personal, but wants to ensure transparency in the system.

He appreciated Fubara for also being on the side of transparency and his timely intervention on the matter that would have turned as a disagreement between NULGE and the Council.

Announcing the suspension of the industrial action embarked early yesterday, the parties noted that having met with the governor on their disagreement with Emohua LGA resulting in a statewide strike in the LGAs, they have resolved it as the governor has directed that the matter be handled harmoniously.

“So, on behalf of the state council of NULGE, I enjoin all our members to resume work. All the branch chairmen and the state officers are hereby directed to call off the strike,” Paul stated.

Members of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees in the state declared a strike leading to the locking of the 23 council secretariats in the state. The action followed the sack of some council workers in Emohua LGA last week.