The Director General of the Delta State Bureau for Orientation and Communications, Dr. Fred Latimore Oghenesivbe, has appealed to the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in the state to pursue dialogue with government over alleged grey areas in the controversial civil service dress code.
In a statement issued on Wednesday in Asaba, Oghenesivbe urged labour not to be confrontational but to expand peaceful engagement with government for a lasting resolution. “The grey areas pointed out by labour on behalf of civil servants can be peacefully resolved without any form of confrontation or negative actions or inactions,” he said.
He commended civil servants and the NLC for their cordial relationship with Governor Sheriff Oborevwori since May 29, 2023, noting that workers have contributed significantly to Delta’s development. According to him, “Labour and the civil servants are super partners in governance, and Governor Oborevwori has demonstrated unwavering commitment towards the welfare and prosperity of civil and public servants in Delta State, and he’s ready to do more.”
Highlighting Oborevwori’s achievements, Oghenesivbe stressed that the governor cleared all promotion arrears of civil servants and paid backlog entitlements owed to pensioners, describing it as “the first of its kind since the creation of Delta State.”
On the contentious dress code, the Bureau Chief clarified that government never specified expensive clothing or materials but emphasized “proper and decent dressing code for male and female civil servants” to discourage indecent and seductive appearances in the workplace.
“The State Bureau for Communications and Orientation commends the leadership of the NLC and civil servants for their cordial working relationship with government. It’s the considered option of the Bureau that proper and decent dressing code as indicated in the service rules should be encouraged while engaging in dialogue with government to resolve all alleged grey areas,” Oghenesivbe added.
He appealed to labour leaders ahead of their emergency meeting in Asaba to embrace dialogue and sustain their harmonious working relationship with the government.
