Otu Orders Reinstatement Of 3,000 Sacked Local Government Workers

About 3,000 local government workers in Cross River State are set to return to the state’s payroll after Governor Bassey Otu approved their reinstatement, Naija News reports.

The decision followed a meeting between the governor and organized labour, including the state chapters of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) and Nigerian Union of Pensioners (NUP).

The meeting, held at the State Executive Council chambers in Calabar, focused on workers’ welfare, recruitment, promotions, salary harmonization, pensioners’ entitlements and other issues affecting industrial relations in the state.

During the meeting, the NLC leadership appealed to Otu to reconsider the removal of workers who had already spent about two years in service.

The union argued that the affected workers were indigenes of the state who had built their livelihoods around their jobs and would face serious difficulties if they were suddenly disengaged.

Responding to the appeal, Otu acknowledged the hardship the decision could cause, noting that some of the workers had become used to receiving regular salaries.

He said cutting off their income at short notice would be difficult for them to cope with, particularly as their jobs were their major source of livelihood.

The governor, however, explained that his administration’s intervention in the public service was aimed at correcting irregularities, ensuring due process and making sure employment opportunities were based on the right qualifications.

He insisted that the state needed a public service where employment opportunities were fairly distributed among qualified residents.

“Somebody cannot be a secondary school [leaver] and already be getting an appointment,” he said.

Otu added that having access to employment opportunities should not mean reserving them for a particular family or group, stressing that other residents also deserved a chance.

The governor called on organized labour to work with his administration towards rebuilding the state, saying government alone could not achieve the desired changes.

He described the relationship between government and labour as a corporate partnership that required cooperation from both sides.

Otu also spoke about the financial challenges facing the state, explaining that his administration was dealing with inherited debts and other recurring obligations while working to improve workers’ welfare and provide infrastructure.

He said the government had been making efforts to reduce outstanding liabilities but continued to face fresh financial commitments.

“Almost every month we are taking out 300 to 600 [million],” the governor said.

Despite the financial pressure, Otu expressed optimism that improved revenue generation and better management of existing obligations would help the government settle more outstanding commitments.

He urged labour leaders to support the administration’s development plans, including efforts to improve infrastructure, attract investments, develop human capacity and empower residents.

The governor said Cross River needed to move away from an economy where people struggled to meet their daily needs towards one driven by productivity, business activities and sustainable opportunities.

On other issues raised by the unions, including delayed promotions, salary harmonization and the welfare of low-income workers and pensioners, Otu promised to give them further attention.

He requested that labour leaders submit relevant documents and briefs to enable the government to examine the issues and compare them with its official records.

The meeting ended with the governor approving the restoration of the 3,000 local government workers earlier removed from the state payroll.