By Joyce Onuora, Abakaliki
The Member Representing Ikwo/Ezza South Federal Constituency and Chairman House Committee on Reformatory Institutions, Rt. Hon. (Comrade) Chinedu Ogah, has appealed to civil servants in Ebonyi State to refrain from participating in the ongoing strike announced by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).
Ogah emphasised that joining the strike could be counterproductive, particularly as the Governor of Ebonyi State, Rt. Hon. Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, has always demonstrated commitment to Ebonyi workers’ welfare.
He maintained that joining the strike is shooting themselves on the leg, especially when the governor recently approved a ₦75,000 minimum wage, introduced an additional ₦20,000 wage allowance, and provided free transportation through Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses for workers commuting to and from their offices.
Ogah stressed the importance of dialogue over industrial action, citing the example of workers in the College of Agriculture who have secured higher salary increments compared to members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) by prioritising negotiation over strikes.
He urged the Ebonyi chapter of the NLC to engage in constructive discussions with the state government and to recognise the administration’s efforts in addressing workers’ needs, as contained in the People’s Charter of Needs Agenda.
According to Ogah, sustaining cooperation and dialogue is the most effective path to resolving any issues and advancing the welfare of civil servants, not through strikes.
He, however, reaffirmed his confidence in the ability of the state government and the civil servants to resolve any grievances amicably, and urged Ebonyi workers to halt the ongoing strike.
