The Commissioner for Special Duties, Ebonyi state Mr. Valentine Okike Uzor, has said that Governor Francis Nwifuru was committed in protecting the rights of his people especially the civil servants.
Mr. Uzor who disclosed this to journalists in Abakaliki enumerated the achievements of governor Nwifuru within five months in office.
He noted that with the payment of pension and gratuity to retired civil servant of the state, the governor has given the people rights to live.
Citing the constitution, he satted that payment of pension and gratuity was the rights of workers.
He regretted that several governments in past have failed pay this rights to retired civil servants.
“The Governor from 29 May 2023 to date has done more than expected, people taught that as a young man, he wouldn’t do much, but he is a man who was groomed from the grassroots. A lot of things he did for Ebonyi people are things he witnessed while growing up as a child.
“He understood the areas of the needs of the people and that is what formed his campaign mantra “People’s Charter of Needs” That means that he is not going to do anything outside what the chapter provides.
“Most important, is his ability to withstand the payment of pensions and gratuities to retirees from 1996 to 2021 so much that he has paid over 3 billion naira, left for other governors they would have used the money in concrete roads or flyovers.
” I know that Nigeria has a constitution that protects human rights, but you know over time in governance those at the helm of affairs take people’s lives subconsciously. when you do not provide basic things that make life beautiful you have taken life away from people.
“And people who have worked all these years without being paid their pensions and gratuity have died out of poverty, these are their entitlements but the government has come and gone and these people were not paid so if could do this, it is the best service to humanity”.
