The leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), Ebonyi State chapter, have officially addressed Governor Francis Nwifuru regarding the tragic murder of a principal and a teacher in Nkaleke, Ebonyi LGA, by unidentified assailants.
In a statement signed by Prof. Ogugua Egwu, the Chairperson of NLC, the groups urged the governor to direct the state’s security agencies to swiftly apprehend those responsible for the heinous crime.
The statement emphasized the dire working conditions faced by teachers and the threats to their work environments. It also highlighted the increasing lack of community support for educators, culminating in the recent brutal slaying of two teachers, one of them a principal, in Nkaleke, Ebonyi L.G.A. The NLC and TUC called on the governor to ensure that law enforcement agencies bring the culprits to justice as a deterrent to others who may harbor ill intentions toward educators.
The groups also commended Governor Nwifuru for various positive measures, including clearing gratuities for over 1,161 retirees, providing an additional N10,000 to civil servants in the state to mitigate the impact of fuel subsidy removal, offering toll-free buses for commuting, recruiting essential healthcare workers, and hiring 1,500 Ebonyians into various positions in the state civil service.
Furthermore, the NLC and TUC urged the governor to establish a committee for the review of state civil servants’ salaries to align with the recent federal wage award of N35,000. While acknowledging the governor’s previous implementation of a N10,000 wage award, they emphasized the necessity of an upward salary review to bring it in line with the federal government’s updated wage structure.
In their plea to the governor, the groups underscored the urgency of this wage structure review and its potential to significantly improve the lives of all Ebonyi workers, while also making the state’s wage system consistent with the federal government’s new standard.
