Gov Eno postpones minimum wage implementation in Akwa Ibom

Governor Umo Eno has said that civil servants in the oil-rich Akwa Ibom State will not enjoy the new minimum wage until staff verifications are completed.

Mr Eno approved N80,000 as the new minimum wage for workers in the state weeks ago—N10,000 higher than the national minimum wage—following a similar move by his Lagos and Rivers State counterparts.

Lagos and Rivers announced N85,000 as minimum wage, with Rivers State commencing payment in November.

Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State approved N80,000 as the new minimum wage for workers in the state, with October as the date of commencement while Governor Umaru Fintiri of Adamawa State approved the new federal minimum wage for workers in the state with payment beginning from August, according to Daily Trust newspaper.

“I am aware that quite a number of our civil servants have relocated within Nigeria while others have gone abroad. We have to be sure that those receiving payments are real civil servants,” Mr Eno said at a Church Service in Uyo on Sunday, justifying a delay in the commencement of payment of the new minimum wage to workers.

“My watchword since assuming office has been transparency and honesty in service deliverables and we have to ensure that we carry this through this verification exercise, which would soon be completed,” Mr Eno’s spokesperson, Ekerete Udoh said in a statement on Sunday.

The governor, after approving the new minimum wage, constituted a committee to work on consequential adjustments and submit a report within a month – November.

Labour leaders, including the chairperson of Nigeria Labour Congress in the state, Sunny James, are member of the committee.

Apparently sensing that the decision to delay the commencement of the new minimum wage may not go down well with the Organised Labour in Akwa Ibom, the governor warned those who he said are constantly agitating for disruption of the “smooth and seamless” relationship that exists between the state government and Organised Labour to “have a rethink.”

Workers across the country were supposed to begin enjoying a new minimum wage in May following the expiration of the old N30,000 in April.

A new minimum wage bill was signed into law in July by President Bola Tinubu after months of failed negotiations with the Organised Labour.

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Governor Eno did not mention when the state government would start paying arrears of minimum wage but offered to pay civil servants a 13th month’s salary by next month.

“Since we came in, we have paid critical attention to the needs and the welfare of civil servants in this State. To date, we have paid N35 billion in gratuities to retired state, local government workers and primary school teachers in the State,” he said, highlighting his commitment to workers welfare.