Local government workers in Rivers State have suspended their planned strike following a decisive intervention by Governor Siminalayi Fubara during a closed-door meeting at the Government House, Port Harcourt.
The strike, which was set to begin at midnight on Tuesday, stemmed from a dispute in Emohua Local Government Area, where re-elected Council Chairman, Chidi Lloyd, reportedly withheld salaries of some staff he claimed had not been duly verified.
The high-level meeting brought together the leadership of the Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), the Local Government Service Commission, and Emohua LGA Chairman, Chidi Lloyd. Although details of the agreement were not disclosed, the discussions led to the suspension of the strike, which had earlier sparked protests along the Emohua axis of the East–West Road.
Speaking after the meeting, Rivers NULGE President, Clifford Paul, announced the suspension of the strike and assured members that their concerns would be addressed.
“We have resolved. His Excellency has directed that this matter will be handled harmoniously. On behalf of the State Administrative Council of NULGE, I am calling on all branch chairmen and officers to end the strike,” Paul declared.
Also, Chairman of the Rivers State Civil Service Commission, Israel Amadi, described the engagement as constructive.
“It was a very fruitful deliberation. The Governor has given clear directives, and we are confident that the resolutions will be implemented,” Amadi said.
For his part, Emohua LGA Chairman, Chidi Lloyd, welcomed the Governor’s mediation, stressing the need for transparency.
“It is not personal. We just want transparency in the system, and the Governor has made that clear,” Lloyd noted.
With Governor Fubara’s intervention, calm has returned to the state’s local government system, while workers await the implementation of resolutions reached at the meeting.
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