A few days ago, the administration of Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State in its magnanimity approved a 13th month salary for the civil servants of the state as Christmas bonus, to assist them celebrate the festive season with ease.
The good news about the package is that the state workers will receive their basic salary, double, this month of December, an unprecedented feat that beats the imagination of many, who wonder how the governor does the magic, considering the severe economic challenges being encountered today in a country, where many states are unable to pay workers’ salaries, not to talk of executing capital projects.
In Enugu State, Gov. Ugwuanyi is paying workers’ salaries regularly; executing numerous capital projects across the state; awarding multiple contracts for more development projects, and in his magnanimity, still deemed it necessary to pay workers of the state a 13th month salary as Christmas bonus.
Also worthy of note, is the fact that the bonus, which has the approval of the Enugu State Executive Council, was freely given to the workers without them asking or agitating for it.
Kudos must, therefore, go to “The Most Labour-friendly Governor in the History of Enugu State,” for such a brave and timely gesture, which has received a lot of applause from not only the workers themselves but also from all segments of the society.
In spite of the nation’s harsh economic climate and the fact that Enugu State is third from the bottom of the federal allocation chart, Gov. Ugwuanyi has remained undaunted and up-to-date in the payment of workers’ salaries and retirees’ pensions, which is one of the cardinal objectives of his administration.
Interestingly, the 13th month salary bonus reaffirms and re-echoes the recent verdict by the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), which listed Enugu as one of the few states in the country that is “up-to-date in payment of workers’ salaries and pensions.”
A recent media report credited to the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) stated that “23 states of the federation currently owed workers arrears of salaries ranging from one to 24 months, adding that “only states like Lagos, Anambra, Enugu, Bauchi, among others are said to be up-to-date in payment of salaries and pensions.”
The verdict, no doubt, demonstrated Gov. Ugwuanyi’s commitment to workers’ welfare and his ingenuity as well as passion for the common good of the people of the state.
The governor as an economist and a financial expert strongly believes that the economy of Enugu as a civil service state can only be reactivated to alleviate the sufferings of the people of the state, when workers’ salaries are paid regularly.
This captivating vision has remained one of the guiding principles of his administration to “deploy government services to create fair and equal opportunity for every willing citizen to make a living and create wealth, educate our children, and enjoy life in a peaceful and secure environment”.
It would be recalled that Gov. Ugwuanyi in his inaugural address, promised to lead a lean government to free up resources and channel them to the real development issues. He stated that his administration will look inwards and harness those potentials which free oil money has blinded the country from exploiting.
The governor promised to reward the electorate “who defied rain and sunshine to ensure that their votes counted” and indeed the entire people of the state (who he describes as “the true heroes of democracy), with good governance. He also pledged that his administration “must match our faith with the right decisions and good work”.
Ugwuanyi declared his firm belief in the miracle of five loaves and two fish to feed the people of Enugu State, believing that God will give his administration the wisdom and courage to successfully navigate the state through the current economic crunch, among others.
Today, one is delighted to note that in less than three years into his administration, these promises centered on the wellbeing of the people are been realized persistently.
Reacting to the 13th month Christmas bonus, the elated state chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Virginus Nwobodo, described the gesture as a surprise package and unprecedented in the history of the state, especially in the light of the nation’s economic downturn
Louis Amoke,
Enugu

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