By Peter Omopo
The Rivers State chapter of the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) has suspended its seven-day warning strike following the intervention of Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
The suspension was announced on Tuesday after a closed-door meeting at Government House, Port Harcourt, involving the governor, the state leadership of NULGE, the Chairman of Emuoha Local Government Area, Dr. Chidi Lloyd, and the Local Government Service Commission.
NULGE had declared the strike on Monday to protest the alleged refusal of the Emuoha council chairman to pay salaries of about 300 reinstated workers whose return to service had earlier been approved by Governor Fubara.
State NULGE President, Clifford Paul, said the governor directed that the matter be resolved amicably. “On behalf of the State Administrative Council of NULGE, I enjoin all branch chairmen and state officers to call off the strike,” he announced.
Reacting, Dr. Lloyd commended the governor’s intervention, describing it as timely. “The Governor has issued clear directives and we are all on the same page. This is about ensuring transparency in the system, and I thank NULGE for calling off the strike,” he said.
Chairman of the State Local Government Service Commission, Israel Amadi, also described the meeting as fruitful, assuring that resolutions reached would be implemented.
The strike had earlier seen hundreds of affected workers storm the Emuoha council headquarters to demand payment of their salaries.
Meanwhile, the Rivers State Government has announced the cancellation of the parade earlier scheduled to mark Nigeria’s 65th Independence Anniversary in Port Harcourt.
In a statement issued by Sir Dede Sampson Friday of the Special Services Bureau, Office of the Secretary to the State Government, the parade at Sharks Football Stadium was cancelled in line with a Federal Government directive.
