” …We can’t continue to look on, when there are entire sectors where there are wages that don’t provide a secure livelihood.”_ Matthias Platzeck (German Politician, Minister President of Brandenburg 2002-2013).
The clear pontification of Matthias Platzeck is a demonstration that as society grows with dynamic economic forces, leaders cannot just ignore the crucibles of wages that barely cater for the workforce.
Again, if employers and/or leaders desire improved productivity, ingenuity and prime efficiency in whatever sector they control, it suffices that a living wage is non-negotiable.
It is also trite that in the interplay of effective service delivery and prudent resource management devoid of corruption and sharp practices is the fundamental force of a motivated workforce that will be honest, dedicated and patriotic.
Drawing from the above postulations, it is obvious that Gov. Siminalayi Fubara understands that “whom much is expected, much should be given.” In other words, expecting the best from the State’s workforce also requires remunerating them qualitatively and creating a more conducive work environment for them.
The incontrovertible governor of Rivers State, did not hide the sentiment that he is part of the State’s workforce from the onset. For instance, on June 1, 2023 barely 3 days of assuming office as the Governor of the State, he paid an unscheduled visit to the Rivers State Secretariat Complex to have a first hand assessment of the challenges. He took note of some of the critical issues and responded pronto for their immediate fixing. These include the non functional elevators, poor power supply, lack of water amongst others and promised to within available resources begin facelift of the complex.
Flowing from the briefs from the civil service, Gov. Fubara being aware of the stagnation in career progression of the civil servants promptly ordered the immediate promotion of all, both those in the mainstream service and those in the health and education sectors (teachers). The gesture for such accelerated promotion did not just end in paper award, but backed by all the financial entitlements. In the event of fuel subsidy removal, Gov. Fubara quite understood the impact on the workforce, therefore he rolled out Fuel Subsidy Buses to convey workers and other commuters free from every nook and cranny of the State capital and beyond.
As if that was not enough, in December 2023, Gov. Fubara took a bold step to pay all workers irrespective of grade or cadre a Christmas bonus of N100,000 each. The workers went berserk with frenzy as their eyes have seen what they never saw and they were all merry hearted. To demonstrate their joy, they organized a thanksgiving show at the Secretariat Complex, praising God for giving Rivers State a man after His heart in the person of Sir Siminalayi Fubara. The workers began to understand the difference between practicing politicians and seasoned technocrats in managing the affairs of the State. From that event, the Rivers State civil service declared total support for Gov. Siminalayi Fubara and vowed that detractors of the governor will remain enemies of the workforce. The largesse did not end with those in service, Gov. Fubara assessing the long neglected pensioners commenced payment of N1billion monthly pension but later increased it to N2billion in order to clear backlogs and stabilize the system as he describes them as heroes who deserved their wages.
In effect, those rightful acts of governance now transcends to act of magnanimity. The outcome is that the impact of the harsh economy became minimal as the workforce were not agitated to demand for reduction of days of work like some other States did, but rather increased their sense of commitment to ensure smooth running of governance and delivery of efficient services.
But wait until they got the final shocker on Friday, October 18, 2024. As a fallout of the approved N70,000 National minimum wage which is already signed into law by President Bola Tinubu, Gov. Siminalayi Fubara considered the peculiarity of Rivers State, its people and the determined workforce with their unparalleled sacrifice and support and graciously approved N85,000 as the State’s new minimum wage for the workforce. What a man of great compassion. He truly knows where the shoes pinch and goes to ameliorate the pains. Sir Fubara is a liberal soul and committed to improving the welfare and lives of Rivers people whether in the service of the State or in the private life. His actions demonstrate that there are certain segments of the society that you don’t toil with in the name of politics, but with genuine policy rejuvenation. Since the announcement, Rivers workers have gone gaga and dancing with hearts full of joy. The prayers of this wonderful people alone are enough to shield Gov. Fubara from any attack of the enemies.
One critical lesson from his commitment to the workers is that putting people first should always be the utmost responsibility of a passionate leader and that makes for leadership that builds people’s confidence and respect for that government.
What more? In the views of Amy B. Lyman (1872-1959), ” _Paying people a fair wage is a sign of respect and acknowledgement of the value of people’s contributions to the business. When people are treated fairly and with respect, they will provide unparalleled levels of support and commitment inside the business, and to clients and customers. Everyone is more successful when people are paid a living wage.”_ For sure Gov. Fubara is building a motivated workforce that will meet global best practices without hitch.
These are the indisputable values that Gov. Siminalayi Fubara clearly rides on to provide the necessary elixir to the people of Rivers State and thus fulfills that most cherished mantra of Rivers first.
If for nothing, Rivers State workforce will overrun every opposition for the sake of Sir Siminalayi Fubara when the need arises.
