…Says Okowa is at war with civil servants, refuses to pay promotion arrears, pension to retirees
Ahead of the March 11 governorship election, workers in Delta State under the aegis of Concerned Progressive Workers For Good Governance (CPWGG), have rejected Governor Ifeanyi Okowa’s Vice Presidential aspiration and his party, the PDP.
They have instead, endorsed Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, the gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress as their preferred candidate.
The group accused the governor and his PDP-led administration of ill-treatment of civil servants in the state for refusing to pay them promotion arrears and other benefits, and therefore, unanimously endorsed, Deputy President of the Senate, Ovie Omo-Agege as the best guber candidate in the March 11 governorship election.
The workers took the decision during a town hall meeting with the APC gubernatorial candidate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege at Grand Hotel, Asaba, and promised to mobilise workers both in the formal and informal sectors to vote massively for Omo-Agege and ensure that he emerged the next state governor.
The workers hinted that their decision to adopt Omo-Agege as the next Governor of Delta State was because of his numerous achievements at the Senate that have benefitted the entire State.
Reading the resolution of the workers at the interactive engagement, the leader of the group, Comrade Festus Doghene, said: “On behalf of the entire Civil Servants, Public Servants and Private Workers in Delta State, we want to assure you of our massive votes in the March 11 Governorship election in the State.
“The noble projects you have attracted to the State in your short stay at the Senate tells us that your candidacy will not only revive moribund industries in the state but would establish more and we also know that you will be workers friendly governor.”
Also speaking, Comrade Ochei Chike said, “Governor Ifeanyi Okowa-led government is at war with civil servants in the State and as a result decided to punish workers with hardships.
“You can see that despite the intimidation, victimization, warnings and threat by the governor and his cronies to Delta state civil servants from attending this town hall meeting with you, civil servants and other workers in the state ignored the threat and came out en masse to interact with you and your entourage”.
“The Concerned Progressive Workers For Good Governance in Delta state pledged to vote for the APC candidate because of what civil servants are receiving from the PDP-led State Government.”
Responding to the questions and demands made by the Delta State workers, the Deputy President of the Senate, DSP Ovie Omo-Agege acknowledged the vital roles civil servants play as the engine room of government at all levels.
While lamenting that the Delta State workforce is not being cared for by the government it’s serving, the Delta Central Lawmaker made a commitment of quarterly meetings with workers where they can express their views and remind him of his promises if he derailed.
He promised to end workers’ victimization, look into the welfare of civil servants and pay hardship allowance to all levels of civil servants when elected.
On the exorbitant fees students are currently paying in the state tertiary institutions, Omo-Agege promised a downward review immediately after he takes over as governor of Delta State.
According to him, “we cannot have this number of higher institutions and be ripping our children off exorbitant fees, especially with high allocations the state government is receiving before adding IGRs.”
On the rumour that he would avenge Governor Okowa’s focus on developing only a particular area of the State, the APC Governorship candidate gave the assurance that he would equitably distribute projects and development across the state.
While appealing to the workers to be his canvassers at the March 11 governorship election, the Deputy President of the Senate promised to curb the high cost of housing in the State by completing all abandoned civil servants’ housing estates in the state and building more, and that all that is due workers would be paid on time.
“I promise to offset all pensioners arrears when elected. It’s evil to deny pensioners their retirement benefits after serving the state. No workers, pensioner will be owed a dime when I become governor by God’s grace. Not with the huge allocations coming to this State” he said.