Comrade Itubo emerges Rivers NLC chairperson

Comrade Beatrice Itubo of the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN) has again been given the mandate to pilot the affairs of the Rivers state council of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) for a second tenure.

Comrade Itubo secured the mandate of the workers during the 2019 state delegates conference of the council held at the Atlantic Hall of the Presidential Hotel in Port Harcourt on Thursday.

She scored 366 votes to beat her closest rival, Mr. Henry Orombo of AUCPTRE who garnered 55 votes. All other positions of the state executive council were not contested for and the candidates were therefore returned unopposed.

In her acceptance speech, Comrade Itubo said there was no victor and no vanquish and commended delegates for their peaceful disposition throughout the conference, just as she thanked them for giving her their mandate and promised to consolidate on her achievements recorded in her first tenure.

She also extended her hand of fellowship to her fellow contestant who lost in the election as well as aggrieved members to join hands with the new executive to move the state council forward.

“My first tenure faced tremendous challenges from a faction of our members who were bent on collapsing the NLC family. I’m glad today, on behalf of all of us to say that the NLC in Rivers state came out of that problem stronger and more united.

“I’m again very elated to say that this administration has achieved a rare feat as a result of its peaceful engagement with the Rivers state government. To the glory of God Almighty, the Rivers state government is building an ultra -modern secretariat for the NLC, courtesy of our purposeful engagement.

“Interestingly, the governor has given us assurances that the issue of promotion of workers and new employment into the public service will be handled in the first year of his second tenure,” Itubo said.

She and other executives elected were immediately sworn in by the National President of the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE).