By Seyi Babalola
Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State has told Imo workers that they would always be at the top of his administration’s priority list.
Governor Uzodimma addressed during this year’s Workers’ Day celebration in Owerri, the Imo State capital.
He decried a situation in which some workers collude with corrupt and fraudulent individuals to undermine the government by stealing government property (such as land), creating fake invoices and using them to steal government funds, and, in most cases, establishing private businesses that divert their attention away from fully and sincerely serving the government.
He reiterated that it was the mess he discovered in the Ministry of Land, for instance, that compelled him to cede the ministry for now to his own office as a way of restoring the needed sanity and trust.
Governor Uzodimma said though overseeing the office of the Ministry of Land will add to his already huge responsibility, he has no choice but to make that sacrifice for Imo State the same way he has denied himself overseas travels for the sake of the state.
He urged the workers to join him in making Imo State the dream state of all by doing the right thing and making the necessary sacrifices. He promised not to take their support for granted, pledging that his administration would continue to place the welfare and interests of the people above every other consideration.
The governor listed some of his welfare packages for Imo workers, including the implementation of the N30,000 minimum wage, prompt payment of salaries, free transportation to and fro work, a free health insurance scheme with complete payment of premiums, palliative measures to cushion the effect of fuel subsidy removal, and an adjustment of the salary to N40,000 for the lower cadre workers, among others.
Governor Uzodimma reminded the workers that his government was among the first to domesticate the increase in the service period of teachers from 60 to 65 years of age and 35 to 40 years of service, and the commencement of payment of gratuities to retired workers.
