Governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano, yesterday at the commemoration of international workers day in Awka called on the state work force to embrace the culture of diligence and hard work in other to move the state forward.

The governor, who was represented at the occasion by his deputy, Dr. Nkem Okeke, thanked the workers as well as Ndi Anambra for voting en-masse for All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) at the just concluded state House of Assembly election, saying that the gesture demonstrated the general wish for an accelerated development of the state.

“In voting for APGA, you voted for a steady improvement in the affairs of workers in Anambra State. So, I congratulate you, your colleagues across Nigeria and the rest of the world on the worker’s day celebration today.

“My administration is determined to encourage principle in everything we do in Anambra State. Indeed we have proven to workers in the state that we are running a worker’s friendly administration.

“My administration will not succeed without your support. Make a firm decision to put in your best for the development of the state,” he said.

He assured the state work force that he will position the civil service to attain the height it deserved through trainings adding that more shall be done with prove of hard work and commitment from the workers.

Earlier in his address, the state chairman of Trade Union Congress (TUC) Comrade Ifeanyi Okechukwu said that the year’s celebration of worker’s day is unique being as it were the first time in the history of Nigeria, power is shifting from a ruling party to the opposition without crisis or blood-shed with the incumbent conceding defeat and congratulating the winner.

He stressed that the workers in the state are celebrating the performance of the governor in the area of developmental feats and the welfare/incentives to workers in the history of labour movement in the state.

He said: “This is the first time we have we have organised a thanksgiving service for any sitting governor. I want to say here that His Excellency is the only governor since the creation of the state that has put smiles in the spirit, soul and hearts of civil servants.

“We are also celebrating His Excellency’s one year of ingenuity, creativity, uncommon commitment to duty, robust feat of political engineering, caring and understanding of plight of civil servants in the state. We thank the Almighty God for giving us a pace setter and a man of Spartan courage as governor.”

He called on the governor to introduce the end of the year incentive known as the 13th month salary for workers of Anambra State to enable them celebrate Christmas and New year by giving them additional source of income.

“This payment is expected to be institutionalized as it is being done in many parts of the civilized world. I believe that your Excellency will put a smile on the faces of workers at the end of this year if you introduce this incentive which will endear you more to the civil servants in Anambra State and beyond,” Okechukwu said.

•Photo shows Obiano speaking at a public event in Awka, the state capital.

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