CHRISTIAN ABURIME
“Workers deserve their wages,” Governor Chukwuma Soludo declared as he opened his address at the Local Government Workers’ Week celebration in Awka, praising council staff for their dedication while laying out a bold vision for administrative reform and political strategy.
Addressing a enthusiastic crowd of public servants and state officials, Soludo highlighted his administration’s turnaround of civil service welfare. “When I came, the gratuities owed for four years have been cleared. Those retiring are getting their pension and gratuities as and when due,” he said.
Reaffirming his commitment to workforce development, he added, “We will reconstitute the commission and deal with the issue of training. For our own part, whatever is feasible to be done within budget constraints will be done.”
The Governor commended local government employees for driving tangible development across the state’s 21 councils. “Our workers show up to work, not just distributing resources to them. When I see the local governments tarring roads, keeping our markets clean, it shows that the system is working. Keep doing the work efficiently,” he stated, showing how conscientious the workforce has become.
Reiterating on political strategy and national alignment, Governor Soludo urged Ndi Anambra to make calculated decisions at the polls. Pointing to APGA as a proven engine for regional progress, he cautioned that political choices carry consequences. “Politics is about interest. Ndi Igbo want to be President—it will happen soon. Wisdom demands that you support the moving train,” he asserted, adding that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu holds a Southern mandate that requires backing. “We will benefit nothing from wasting our votes. We need the partnership with the federal government to be on the table to negotiate for dividends of development.”
Earlier, the Commissioner for Local Government, Barr. Vin Ezeaka, lauded the administration’s focus on staff welfare, noting, “There had been nothing like Local Government Service Week before you came on board. Workers are happy, and that is why they are always part of this.”
Also speaking at the event, Barr. Chukwudi Oli, the APGA candidate for Dunukofia, Njikoka, and Anaocha Federal Constituency, reminded attendees of the enduring impact of public duty, stating, “In service, we will be remembered.”
The colorful event featured a cultural march-past and a display of agricultural products by workers representing all the 21 local government areas of the state.