Eye Witness Reports – Abakaliki
The Ebonyi State Chairman of Community Health Practitioners, Princess Chetachi Jerry Usulor, has applauded Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru’s commitment to workers’ welfare in the thirteen LGAs of the state.
Princess Chetachi gave the commendations while addressing newsmen shortly after the TUC/NLC solidarity rally at the new government house in Abakaliki, the state capital.
She said that the welfare of workers has received a great deal of attention under Nwifuru’s administration, especially the prompt payment of salaries and promotions, gratuities, and the gift of one hundred thousand naira as a Christmas bonus.
Mrs. Usulor further reiterated that civil servants are the life wire of public service, recalling how Nwifuru’s administration employed 190 medical doctors, reducing the running costs to the civil service after many years, restoring effected promotion with cash backing, purchasing dozens of operational vehicles for medical chiefs, implementing sustainable payment, and increasing workers salaries.
The health practitioner boss, Usulor, further commended the government for its emphasis on paying attention to workers’ welfare, including the regular payment of their salaries, promotions, pensions, and gratuities for the retirees of the state from 1999 to 2001.
The community health Boss, however, tasked the workers and its leadership to reciprocate the kind gesture of the government by doubling their efforts towards assisting the administration of Governor Nwifuru to succeed in its policies and programs.
“I commend Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru for his commitment to workers’ welfare,” he said, saying Ebonyi State today is among the few states in Nigeria with great and consistent implementation of the workers package.
“I want to eulogize Gov. Nwifuru for treating us well in various manners since the inception of office,” she said.
“I made a special appeal to the Governor on the need to also lift the employment embargo into the EBSPHCDA, where community health workers primarily reside and work.
“Our governor has done well in giving a face lift to the secondary level of health care in the state. But the primary health care level, which represents the core center of health for all, has not received the needed attention.
“Most of the state public PHC centers are empty, with little or no skilled health workers.
“We need community health workers in the PHC facilities in order to strengthen the health system and fight quackery at the community level,” she said.