Letters to the Editor IN PRAISE OF GOV UGWUANYI

Across the globe today, there is economic stress especially for countries that depend mostly on crude oil as their major source of revenue. This is because of the sudden and unprecedented crash in the price of crude oil in the international market. Nigeria is among the countries affected, having run a mono-economy of crude oil for so long, without diversification. The development has engendered a crash crunch both in the corridors of power and private sector. Perhaps it has never been so tough in the country’s economic history.

There are palpable fears among Nigerians over job losses in public and private sectors. Workers wake up every day with fear of uncertainty over their jobs, future and salaries. While some public and private companies have sacked workers with backlog of salaries and arrears owed them, others are threatening to downsize their workforce to avoid total collapse of their activities. In some states, the government and the labour union leaders are already at each other’s jugular over the retrenchment or planned retrenchment of workers due to the dwindling government revenues.

But in Enugu State, the situation is quite different because the present government led by Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi is quietly building what a labour-friendly atmosphere that would be difficult to come by in these austere times.

The government has strengthened the bond of friendship with the organised labour both at the state and national levels through the instrumentality of a governance style that opens the door for very unique participatory democratic engagements.

It was this obvious reason that the President of Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Ayuba Waba, his Trade Union Congress (TUC) counterpart Comrade Bobboi Kaigama alongside other labour activists could not hold their joy during their fact-finding mission to Enugu State recently to ascertain the level of interaction between the workers and the state government.

The mission, interestingly ended up at a roundtable during which the leaders could no longer hide their joy over the cordial relationship already entrenched by the state government’s responsiveness and commitment to the workers` needs and welfare.

Incidentally, the national labour leaders were welcomed during the mission by their state counterparts with the good news of the state govern- ment’s donation of a utility Hiace bus to each of the two unions - NLC and the TUC - in the state the previous day, which raised hope for a better 2016 industrial year for workers in the state.

The disclosure was part of the response from the state chairmen of the labour unions to questions from the national leaders on how the workers are faring with the present government in the state. The disclosure led to the chronicle of the state government’s quick and positive responses to the various demands by the labour unions.

In his response, NLC president, Wabba said: “We came, we saw an epitome of humility in you. I think in this country, we are beginning to have leaders at the helm of affairs that are truly leaders. I strongly believe that Enugu State is a lucky state. You have shown us that the workers in your state are partners in progress, not slaves.”

There is no doubt that Governor Ugwuanyi`s kind gesture to workers since he assumed office is not cosmetic or pretentious to score any cheap political popularity, but rather a measure of his personality.

Speaking during the State Workers’ New Year prayer session, Governor Ugwuanyi said: “We will continue to pay salaries. It is only when we pay salaries that we can activate the economy of the state. This is because Enugu State is more of a civil servant state. “Ugwuanyi made this solemn promise in the face of his admission of the fact that all is not well with the economy because of the crash in oil price.