Unlike other parts of the country where Workers’ Day was celebrated with parades and fanfare, Rivers State observed a subdued commemoration following a directive from the national leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).
The usual match pasts and funfair were cancelled in response to the state of emergency declaration by the federal government under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The NLC had instructed all affiliated industrial unions to suspend major celebratory activities in protest of what it described as a threat to democratic governance in the state.
In Port Harcourt, workers gathered instead at various secretariats for peaceful rallies.
State NLC Chairman Alex Agwanwor, alongside Trade Union Congress (TUC) Chairman Comrade Ikechukwu Onyefuru, addressed the workers and called for the immediate reinstatement of the suspended governor of Rivers State. They emphasized the importance of safeguarding democracy and protecting workers’ rights.
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“Today is not just about celebration,” Agwanwor told the crowd. “It’s about raising our voices for justice, for democratic governance, and for the dignity of labour.”
While the NLC did not extend an invitation to government representatives, the Secretary to the State Government, Professor Worika Ibibia, appeared at the gathering with a few officials, expressing solidarity with the workforce.
Elsewhere in the federation, Workers’ Day was marked with the usual ceremonies, parades, and speeches praising the role of labour in national development.
In Rivers, however, the mood remained one of reflection, resistance, and resolve.