Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), in Ebonyi State have appealed to Governor Chief David Umahi to engage more teachers in public primary and secondary schools to enhance the quality of education in the state.
Their appeal was contained in a joint address presented on the 2023 May Day celebration held at the Pa Ngene Oruta Township Stadium, Abakaliki with the theme: “Worker’s Right and Socioeconomic Justice.”
The state NLC chairman, Comrade Oguguo Egwu, who read the address, said “this is a good time to engage or initiate the engagement of more teachers in the primary and post primary Schools to ensure quality, dependable and self-sustaining team of youth in the future.”
Egwu said the employment of more teachers into the schools will encourage the enrollment of Ebonyi people into the State College of Education, Ikwo.
He also called for the engagement of more Doctors, Nurses and other Healthcare professionals in the State adding that the renovation of infrastructure in various secondary health care centers that are already completed in the LGAs can be described as an unparalleled approach to healthcare development in Nigeria.
The unions demanded therejigging of the state civil service through the employment of secretarial staff and other cadres for maximum efficiency, implementation of the judicial autonomy and approved welfare packages for judicial workers in the state.
Others included the reinventing Ebonyi State University through increased subversion and infrastructural development, harmonizing and enhancing the pension and gratuity management schemes in the state among others.
In what seems to be his farewell massage to workers of the State, Governor Umahi while enumerating his achievements said that in the areas of gratuity, the balance for state is said to be about N4.2 billion, adding that his administration shall be paying off 25%of the balance in May.
He said the next government shall pay off the balance when the state receives its stamp-duty refund.
Governor Umahi stated that his administration as at today is not owing workers’ salaries adding that in this month, the state shall be paying off the balance of pension which stands today at about N480million
