NIGERIAN WORKERS JOIN THEIR COUNTERPARTS WORLDWIDE TO OBSERVE MAY DAY,
AS SENATOR ELECT, DR PATRICK IFEANYI UBAH EXTOLS NIGERIAN WORKERS. AND
EXALTS GOV WILLIE OBIANO OF ANAMBRA STATE FOR HIS PROMPT PAYMENT OF SALARIES.

Globally, Workers Day is purely celebrated to pay tribute and honour to the contributions made by the workers towards the betterment of various institutions and consequently our society. Beyond the yearly celebration, May 1st should more importantly, be a day set aside for stock-taking with respect to everything that pertains to a Nations' workforce. It is a moment when workers as the engine room of the society and the representatives of the three tiers of government meet to reflect on the prevailing realities of the Nigerian workforce.

This year's celebration provides an opportunity to assess the current local and international issues which are of great significance and value to our labour population/unions and Nigeria’s trade unions movement. Our goal must be to build a cohesive workforce driven by professionalism, adequate remuneration, an effective pension scheme, projects performance and zero tolerance for corruption because that is the only way we can entrench good governance in the polity while ensuring that our workforce attain job satisfaction.

As a union, Labour must begin to engage and partner with the Government on the issue of work place efficiency and service delivery. Our cardinal objective should always be efficient and effective service delivery to the people. Moreso, the fight against corruption, absenteeism, waste and insolence should not be for Government alone, it is a collaborative task for sustainable development and growth.

At this juncture, I wish to commend His Excellency, Governor Willie Obiano for the prompt payment of salaries due to Anambra workers. His efforts, despite the precarious economic landscape in ensuring undelayed payment of salaries have not gone unnoticed. I also wish to use this medium to urge him to implement the newly signed minimum wage bill.

Conclusively, the Federal Government must take the creation of new workplaces seriously through empowerment schemes that would make real impact on the Nation as this is a viable pathway to strengthen excellence in service delivery and economic growth.

God bless Anambra State!
God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria!

Dr. Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah.
Senator-elect, Anambra South Senatorial District.