Abia State Government Promises  To Take The Lead In The Implementation Of New Minimum Wage

Abia State Governor , Dr. Alex Otti  says he will take the lead in the implementation of the new minimum wage being negotiated by the tripartite committee of the federal government.

Governor Otti stated this while addressing Abia workers on the occasion of the 2024 Workers’ Day held at the Umuahia Township Stadium. He assured that he would backdate the implementation and pay its arrears to the state workers.

The Governor promised to look into the request for payment of the approved wage award expeditiously, said that the arrears of the leave allowances and salaries owed by the immediate past administration would be paid case by case while assuring that never again would the workers be owed in Abia state

The state chief executive, who titled his speech, “Workers as Agents of Development and Transformation” acknowledged the ingenuity of the members of the Abia workforce and said it would be workers first in the new Abia. He disclosed that he has made it a policy to make salaries and entitlements of the workers and pensioners first priority before the political office holders get their monthly official entitlements.

Governor Otti while appreciating and congratulating the workers on their special day called on them to support his government in his quest to rebuild Abia state.

“We made it clear that in the New Abia, it will
be “Workers First. Our conviction is that the welfare and interests of the workers, past, present
and future, will come before listening to the demands of the political class. Since we assumed office, we have made it an official policy of government
that we must meet our salary obligations before political office holders are paid their monthly entitlement.

“The State is deeply grateful for your sacrifices, your diligence. I am pleased to inform you that we shall take the lead in implementation as soon as a new national minimum wage structure is announced. I understand that labour leaders across the country are currently engaging with the federal government and we are following those discussions closely.

“We have also noted your other demands including payment of arrears of leave allowance, promotions and other accumulated debts owed our workforce in the last eight to ten years. We shall carefully consider these requests and deal with them on a case-by-case basis, and subject to availability of resources.”

In his speech, the State Chairman, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) , Comrade Okoro Ogbonnaya commended Governor Alex Otti for all his developmental strides so far, including the welfare of workers in the state.

Comrade Ogbonnaya requested the Governor to defray the arrears of leave allowances and salaries owed workers in the state by the immediate past administration. He also brought to the notice of the governor the need to conduct promotion exercises in the state service which were last conducted in 2021, pay the approved wage award, approve the payment of promotion arrears, recruitment of teachers as well as immediate intervention on the crises that led to the closure of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike.

The event which attracted the presence of the deputy governor, Engr. Ikechukwu Emetu, the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, members of the State House of Assembly, members of the state executive council, SSG, HOS among other dignitaries featured match pass by about 20 unions and associations of the NLC and TUC