Rivers Crisis: TUC Calls for Peace As Health Workers Demand Recruitment

The Trade Union Congress (TUC) has raised the alarm over the lingering political crisis in Rivers State, calling for urgent peace-building efforts and the intervention of elders, leaders of thought and civil society organisations to halt what it described as a steady slide in governance and development.

The Rivers State Chairman of the TUC, Dr Udoka Josiah, made the call during a media parley in Port Harcourt, warning that civil servants and workers are the worst hit whenever political instability erupts in the state.

According to Josiah, the prolonged crisis has slowed governance, weakened public service delivery and created an atmosphere unfavourable to development.

“We want to call on the government and the good people of Rivers State that all we need in the state is peace.

Development cannot come in a situation where there is crisis,” he said. “The situation in the state is really uncalled for. For those who truly believe in Rivers State, it is painful to see the state turned upside down, and that is what we don’t want.”

He stressed that the TUC is not aligned with any political faction but is solely concerned about the welfare of workers and the stability of the state.

“As a labour centre, we are not interested in any faction. We want the state to work,” Josiah declared.

“We are calling on all elders, civil society organisations and leaders of thought to ensure that all hands are on deck to liberate Rivers State and return it to those good old days.”

The labour leader lamented that the political turmoil has negatively impacted sanitation and public order in Port Harcourt and its environs, citing widespread refuse dumps and lawlessness on major roads.

“If you’re moving from Igwuruta, it is disheartening. From Eleme down to Oil Mill, and from Oil Mill to Garrison, it is equally shocking — refuse all over the place, lawlessness on our roads,” he said.

“We cannot continue like this. Political crisis will only succeed in destabilising the state, and that is not what we want.”

Josiah further noted that civil servants are often the first casualties of political instability, questioning how workers are expected to function effectively in an atmosphere of crisis.

“We as civil servants are always the first hit before any other person. If there is crisis in the state, how do we work with the government?” he queried.

Despite the concerns, the TUC chairman urged Governor Siminalayi Fubara not to be distracted by political battles but to remain focused on governance, noting that history would judge him by his legacies rather than his confrontations.

He commended the governor for the ongoing renovation of the Rivers State Secretariat Complex, describing the project as a morale booster for workers.

“To get the best out of workers, the environment has to be conducive, and that is what the governor is doing. We appreciate him,” Josiah said.

On job creation, he advised the state government to renovate the abandoned Port Harcourt International Airport Hotel and integrate it as an extension of the state-owned Hotel Presidential.

He also suggested the deployment of more staff to the Adokiye Amiesimaka International Stadium to prevent the facility from deteriorating due to neglect.
Meanwhile, the Rivers State chapter of the Association of Community Health Practitioners has called on the state government to urgently recruit at least 1,000 community health workers to address acute manpower shortages in public health facilities.

The Chairperson of the association, Dr Justin Onuwa, made the call while speaking to journalists in Port Harcourt. She commended Governor Fubara for approving the upward review of the retirement age of community health practitioners to 65 years, but warned that retirements have left many facilities understaffed.

“In November 2025, we met with the governor on the issue of extension of retirement age for our members, and just last week, he approved 65 years for community health practitioners. We are here to say thank you,” Onuwa said.

However, she stressed the need for immediate recruitment to sustain healthcare delivery across the state.

“Our facilities are becoming empty due to retirement. If you go round our health centres, you will see that manpower is grossly inadequate,” she said.

“We are demanding that the governor employs at least one thousand community health workers to beef up the workforce.”

Onuwa also appealed for the provision of operational vehicles to enable health workers carry out effective outreach, especially during immunisation and vaccination campaigns.

“We constitute about 87 per cent of the workforce in the state health sector.

By approving the extension of retirement age, the governor has solved one major problem for health workers,” she said. “But we also need mobility to monitor immunisation services across the state, reduce infant and maternal mortality, and sustain the gains we have recorded.”
She noted that compliance with immunisation programmes has improved significantly, adding that cases of polio have reduced drastically in Rivers State, attributing the progress to sustained government support.

“Mothers are complying with immunisation services, and polio in particular has reduced drastically in the state. We give kudos to the governor for his support,” Onuwa added.