Akwa Ibom Tackles Rent Matters For Civil Servants
Akwa Ibom Government plans to wade into payment of yearly rents paid to civil servants to ease accommodation problem facing them.
Governor Godswill O. Akpabio, who announced this Thursday during the celebration of 2014 Workers' Day at Uyo Sports Stadium, assured to discuss with Head of Civil Service to ensure payment of lump sum to them.
Akpabio further pledged to review payment of the yearly N750 to Mathematics and Science teachers in secondary schools to encourage them to put in more effort in teaching the subjects.
On payment of N300 to headmasters and headmistresses in secondary schools, he described the amount as paltry compared to their tedious duty and promised to look into it.
According to him, "I stand with a deep sense of commitment to your welfare, and a deep appreciation of your support and cooperation. I stand in the spirit of the inspiring words in our anthem, 'Solidarity For Ever'. I am full of hope that He who began a good work in us, is faithful to complete it this critical year.
He enjoined workers to watch and pray as the election beckons, saying "We should watchout for justice and pray for the will of God to be done in our state one more time. We should watch the men and women who are parading themselves for elective office, and know that appearances can be deceptive. We should remember that the devil prowls around like a lion seeking who to devour. We should pray that our state would not fall prey in the hands of the wicked that seek to destroy our treasurable and enduring legacies. As opinion leaders and the workers of our state you owe both posterity and our state this duty.
The Governor remarked "Together we have brought our State out of the quagmire of decayed infrastructure and underdevelopment. Together we have built a State, which has done justice to the dreams of our forebears. Together we have proved that when God does His will in the lives of a people, there is Uncommon Transformation.
"Since the advent of this administration in 2007, our policies and programmes have been geared towards energizing and mobilizing all Akwa Ibom people for the transformation of our State. You are, therefore, not only an important part of our success story, but the pivot of our past, present and future.
.....That is why we are leaving no stone unturned in the enhancement of your welfare. That is why we have provided a safe and conducive working environment for your comfort and growth. That is why we would continue to promote the training and retraining of workers, as well as provide inputs that would enhance productivity of workers. We are proud that you have reciprocated our gesture with commitment and dedication to duties", Akpabio recalled.
"The reality of today is that Nigeria's call is for the release of the innocent girls abducted in their school and languishing in unknown locations in our country. The call is for us to stop insecurity and this senseless bloodletting. The call is for us to lift this cauldron of fear from our land. We share the anguish of the families of the girls in captivity. We share the anguish of the many others who have been victims of the insecurity in our country. We share in the pains of those who have lost their loved ones in this spate of terrorism, which is alien to our culture.
"But I stand here today to assure you all that given the inflexible resolve of our dear President and our earnest prayers for God's intervention, these Egyptians with blood-stained hands and darkened hearts, that we see today, we shall not see them again tomorrow. We pray for the release and rescue of those girls knowing that for as long as any of them remains in captivity, we are all in captivity", the Governor noted.
He commended the workers for sustaining this extant tradition of the Workers' Day, and enjoined them to responsibly continue to be diligent in service and show uncompromising commitment to the development of State in peace and unity, adding "Let us stand together and savour this uncommon Transformation. Let us stand together in the defence of unity and peace in our state this critical year. Let us stand together and sing with new meaning 'Solidarity forever'.
Comrade Unyime Usoro, the Chairperson of Nigeria Labour Congress, Akwa Ibom Council applauded the cordial relationship between the labour unions and the state government, implementation of 27.5 per cent Teachers' Salary Scale (TSS), payment of N21,000 minimum wage to workers, 100 per cent car allowances to civil servants and employment of 10,000 civil servants, among others.
Usoro called for speedy refund of contributory pensions scheme to workers, building of Chief Godswill Akpabio NLC Rain School building, issuance of certificates to students of defunct College of Agriculture, issuance of employment letters to staff of AKADEP Rice Project.
Comrade Akamba Awah, a representative of the State Chairman of Trade Union Congress bemoaned systemic failure caused by security challenges and epileptic electricity supply in the country and called for redress.
Awah, thanked the state government for investing heavily in security of life and property, refund of contributory pensions scheme, but called for assistance to build Labour House, stoppage of estimated bills by Port Harcourt Distribution Company, increment of allowances to Mathematics and sciences, among others.