Chairman of the Rivers State chapter of the Nigeria Civil Service Union (NCSU), Comrade Chikwuka Osumah has said that civil servants in the state will shun this year’s May Day celebrations
Osumah attributed the decision to the ongoing political crisis and the imposition of emergency rule in the state.
He further said the decision to shun the annual event stems from the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the broader unrest that has gripped the state.
Osumah explained that workers would stay away from the traditional festivities as a gesture of solidarity with Gov. Fubara, whom he described as given civil servants a “new lease of life” and a renewed “sense of belonging.”
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According to him, the directive to shun the May Day celebrations aligns with instructions from the national secretariat of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), which advised affiliate unions in the state to hold rallies within their premises instead.
On the recent pro-Fubara protests across the state, Osumah said they demonstrated the governor’s popularity and the public’s affection for him.and called on President Bola Tinubu to “swiftly reinstate the suspended governor.”
He also commended the reported meeting between Tinubu and Gov. Fubara in London, describing it as a “bold and pragmatic move to address the injustices” faced by the governor.
Tinubu had in March declared a state of emergency in Rivers and controversially suspended the governor, Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
He thereafter appointed retired Vice-Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas as the sole administrator of the state for an initial period of six months.
