Poor welfare: Rivers Assembly workers resort to prayer, fasting

rivers assembly workers

Workers of Rivers House of Assembly hold prayer and fasting sessions for divine intervention for improve welfare

Workers of Rivers House of Assembly hold fasting and prayer sessions for divine intervention to improve welfare.

By Okafor Ofiebor

Workers of the Rivers State House of Assembly have resorted to fasting and prayer to seek God’s intervention in what they describe as management’s failure to cater for their welfare and improve their work condition.

The workers complain of absence of conducive work environment and refusal of the government to pay them their allowances for 2013, 2014 and 2019 and other entitlements.

Chairman of the Rivers State Chapter of Parliamentary staff Association of Nigeria, Comfort Otuene, who spoke with Journalists after a prayer session, lamented the challenges faced by staff of the Assembly and expressed confidence that God would intervene in their plight.

“ Our 2013 and 2014 outfit allowances are still outstanding, our canteen is no longer functioning, even stationery as small as it is, we don’t even have”, she informed.

According to her, there are offices where staff had to buy bulbs by themselves, adding that the assembly’s clinic had no drugs.

“So, we decided to come to God and cry out to Him to hear us, heal our land and restore back the glory of this assembly.” She said.

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Speaking on behalf of his colleagues at the weekend, the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Mr Ikuinyi Ibani, however, commended Governor Nyesom Wike for ‘ensuring that the State Lawmakers and other staff of the State Government are properly catered for.’

”The Governor handed to us the keys of official cars that belong to members of the State Assembly. This is how it should be and we are very grateful to him for providing such leadership and ensuring that members’ welfare is always given priority.

“Members shall continue to give meaningful contribution in their service and their productivity will be higher”, he said.

Deputy Speaker Ehie Edison said that the Governor of Rivers State had assigned the 32 members of Rivers State House of Assembly with official brand new Sports Utility Vehicles.

“We are most grateful and astonished and this gift is to aid our work. It will ensure that we can carry out our responsibilities as lawmakers.

“We assure him that we will continue to maintain this relationship and will not let the governor, Rivers government and people down”, Edison enthused.

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