Gov Umahi reiterates commitment to raising Ebonyi workers salaries

The Ebonyi State Governor, Engr. David Umahi, has reiterated his determination to increase the salaries of workers in the state.
Addressing newsmen shortly after a closed door meeting with the National President of Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) and National Treasurer, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Ibrahim Khaleel, in Abakaliki on Friday, Governor Umahi said, “we informed him(Khaleel) that we are determined to increase the salaries of workers but we cannot be able to do that, until we gather all the indices, and by the end of October we should be able to know how much we want to increase workers salaries.”
The governor maintained that his “government was determined to pay the same salaries at both the state and local government levels,’’ but noted that “it would impose additional burden on the government as the money coming to the local governments cannot carry it at once.”
He appealed to the workers at all levels to assist the government in its quest to increase the state’s internally generated revenue, stressing that the state Executive Council had “met three times this week to re-evaluate our sources of IGR and implement same.”
The governor re-stated that his government would no longer negotiate with the Nigerian Labour Congress led by a federal worker in the state.
”We cannot recognize leadership that is not honest both to the workers and the government,” he stressed.
Eng. Umahi, who said that the government was poised to ensure that there was equity in the increase of workers’ salaries, disclosed his willingness to negotiate with the Junior Workers Association whom, he disclosed, had written to him disassociating itself from the NLC.
In another development Umahi has ordered the Commissioner for Youth and Sports in the state,Mr Charles Akpuenike,to go all out to both primary and secondary schools to harvest hidden talents and put the state on high sport pedestal.
Umahi,gave the order when Abakaliki,Ebonyi Urban Divine Mandate Sport Organisation visited him in his office.
The group used the opportunity to invite him to the forthcoming Akubaraoha Sports Festival scheduled for this month. It also presented him and the state’s Deputy Governor, Dr. Kelechi Igwe, with jerseys for the sports festival.
While thanking Akpuenike for his innovative and pro -activeness ,Governor Umahi,said his government would do everything possible to step up sporting activities in the state.
He said that his government had not contributed a kobo to the current efforts initiated by the commissioner for sport, Mr.Akpuenike.
Earlier,the commissioner for youth and sports, had explained that they were at Government House to invite governor Umahi,to the opening ceremony of the sport festival which begins on September 17.
He said that the festival was being sponsored by individuals, who appreciate what the governor is doing in the state,and urged others not to always look for what they can get from the government purse but to be creative.
The activities lined up for the festival are football,basket ball,wrestling,volleyball,table tennis and dancing competitions.