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…assures workers of better days ahead

By Peter Okutu, Abakaliki
The standard bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ebonyi State, for the March 11 general election, Dr Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii, Saturday alleged that Ebonyi remains the saddest state in the South East region of the country because its workers were being denied their gratuity, salary increment and leave allowances in the State.

He added that the workforce is a prominent capital in development because they create the wealth of the country.

Dr Odii who made the assertion on Saturday, during a parley with a mammoth crowd of workers of Ebonyi State at the PDP Campaign Office in Abakaliki, expressed confidence that the time to sit on workers’ promotion was over in the State.

The PDP flag bearer further emphasized that Ebonyi State harbours the saddest group of citizens in the country because workers are denied their freedom, equity, gratuity and other entitlements, adding that “if you pay workers well, they will contribute optimally to the state’s economy, money will circulate in the state and create a ripple effect that will boost the economy of the state.”

According to him, “We shall partner very well with workers to build Ebonyi State economy,” stressing “we don’t need more fly overs, we need human capital development, institutional reforms, educational reform, assuring that salaries must be paid, all your gratuities, pensions and salaries will be paid.”

Chief Odii also disclosed that Ebonyi State is rated one of the poorest states in country because “They don’t know how to create wealth, they can’t give what they don’t have because they are poor in mindset, they want accumulated wealth first for themselves, and they think the people are not human beings, the workers are third class, let’s deprive them of their gratuity and statutory benefits.

He revealed that his government will “build an independent and accelerated economy in state,” reiterating that “there is poverty because we have not elected those who understand good governance which is the demand of the people, lamenting that “because they lacked capacity and competence, they are not credible and so when they come to power, they first impoverish the people so that you don’t have voices because when you don’t have voices, they become slave drivers.”

“I stand against inhumanity, injustice and poverty. I’m here to liberate Ebonyi State, to make Ebonyi people proud, to restore dignity and trust, to rebuild the confidence of the people in government.

“So you have taken the right decision by adopting me as your sole candidate. The time of enslaving and militarizing of the youths is over.”

One of the workers who spoke on behalf of the workforce informed Dr Odii that his good works were not only known but seen all over the state. “We are convinced that as governor he would do even greater than he had done.

She informed Dr Odi that the workforce had been denied all their entitlements, including promotion increment, arrears, leave allowance, and more importantly, the fifty per cent of the minimum wage, which former Governor Martin Elechi gave them was taken away by the outgoing Governor.

While assuring Dr Odii of workers’ solidarity and support in massively voting for him, she appealed to the incoming governor to restore the entitlements, including payment of gratuities, the leave allowance and the minimum wage.