Civil servants in Rivers State will not participate in this year’s May Day celebrations, the Nigeria Civil Service Union (NCSU) has announced, citing the ongoing political crisis and the imposition of emergency rule in the state.
Chukwuka Osumah, chairman of the NCSU in Rivers, said the decision to shun the annual event stems from the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the broader unrest that has gripped the state.
Osumah explained that workers would stay away from the traditional festivities as a gesture of solidarity with Fubara, whom he described as having given civil servants a “new lease of life” and a renewed “sense of belonging.”
According to him, the directive to forgo May Day celebrations aligns with instructions from the national secretariat of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), which advised affiliate unions in Rivers to hold rallies within their premises instead.
Speaking on recent pro-Fubara protests across the state, Osumah said they demonstrated the governor’s popularity and the public’s affection for him. He called on President Bola Tinubu to “swiftly reinstate the suspended governor.”
He also commended the reported meeting between Tinubu and Fubara in London, describing it as a “bold and pragmatic move to address the injustices” faced by the governor.
Tinubu had in March declared a state of emergency in Rivers and controversially suspended Governor Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly. He appointed retired Vice-Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas as the sole administrator of the state for an initial period of six months.