The Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr Dakuku Peterside, has called on Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State to stop the jamboree of inviting guests from outside the state by spending millions of naira to commission projects and focus attention on numerous workers who are yet to be paid, some for over three years.
Peterside stated this in Port Harcourt, following appeals from the affected workers and senior citizens, who have retired but have not been paid their entitlements for close to three years, in addition to non-promotion of civil servants and teachers since Governor Wike assumed office.
While meeting with some of the affected workers, he sympathised with them and promised not to relent in fighting for their plight, as according to him, they are Rivers people who deserve to be paid their wages and pension as at when due.
He was particularly sad when he was told that some of the workers had died while awaiting their salaries, just as some were finding it difficult to fend for their families and have turned beggars in their own state.
Notable among those affected include the staff of Rivers State Sustainable Development Agency (RSSDA), Rivers State Traffic Management Authority (TIMARIV), Rivers State Signage And Advertisement Agency (RISAA), Rivers State University Staff School, Ken Poly Staff School among others.
The NIMASA boss noted that Wike has no reason whatsoever not to have paid the workers their due in view of the huge revenues coming to the state.
“The Rivers State governor has no excuse not to pay these people. What manner of inhuman treatment is this? They have worked and they deserve to be paid. Is Wike saying he is more Rivers than these people? These are our brothers and sisters who are suffering needlessly for no fault of theirs.
“Rivers state has received huge allocations from the Federal Government, Paris Club refund, Internally Generated Revenue, among others. Some of the multi-millions Wike is spending on unnecessary flag-off of projects and commissioning is enough to pay off these workers.
“The action of the governor led to the resignation of the Executive Directors of RSSDA and RISAA over their inability to make Wike see reason and pay people who have worked and deserved to be paid.
“The same thing is also happening to our senior citizens who have retired but have not been paid. Why will the governor refuse to pay them? What offence have they committed? This is most unfortunate and I will not rest until Wike pays them,” he stated.
Peterside assured them not to lose hope and continue to pray while stating that an All Progressives Congress (APC)-led government in Rivers State come 2019 will never joke with the welfare, future and promotion of workers.
