Abia civil servants to enjoy N70, 000 Minimum Wage from October
From Boniface Okoro, Umuahia
Public and civil servants in Abia state will start enjoying the N70, 000 Minimum as from October this year.
The Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, disclosed this while briefing journalists in Government House, Umuahia on the outcome of this week’s State Executive Council meeting held on Monday and presided by Governor Alex Otti.
Governor Otti had, during the celebration of this Year’s Workers Day, promised Abia workers that his administration would be among the first states that would pay the any New Minimum Wage approved by the federal government.
The government came under tense pressure by the organized Labour and the opposition since the federal government approved a new Minimum Wage of N70, 000 for the least paid worker in the federal employ.
However, the state said it would not rush into pay the new wage but would wait for the federal government to work out details of the payment. It also set a committee to dialogue with Labour on modalities for the payment of the Minimum Wage.
Prince Kanu, however did not disclose if the committee reached any agreement Labour or give out details of what the government was prepared to pay. Rather, he assured that government, baring any unforeseen circumstances, will start paying its workers the new minimum wage as from October 2024.
“This, in part, underscores the government’s commitment to workers’ welfare and the fulfillment of the promise of His Excellency, the Governor of Abia state, Dr. Alex Otti, to Abia workers.
“The payment of this minimum wage is in line with the broader agenda of the federal government. However, the state government has designed it to cut across all categories of workers,” Kanu stated.
He also said that the government, in its bid to strengthen the administration of justice in the state, would, in less than two weeks, commence the construction of 17 Court Halls across the 17 Local Government Areas of the state.
“This is another milestone achievement of the state government that is geared towards ensuring that the process of administration of justice is not impeded in any way in the state,” the Commissioner explained.
He also said that the Governor, would on October 2, 2024, flag-off construction of the 19.1 kilometres Itungwa-Amaise-Mgboko-Ahaba-ubi-Nkwo-elechi pilot road under the Rural Agricultural Access Marketing Project (RAAMP). The road, according to the Commissioner, cuts across Isialangwa South and Obingwa local government areas.
“This is a road that will benefit a lot of communities along that corridor,” he said, describing it as a jinx broken over the RAAMP project in Abia state following the inability of past administrations in the state to get the project off the line.
In the same vein, the Commissioner told journalists that the State Ministry of Health would on Wednesday, September 25, 2024, organise a free-medical outreach at the SDG Multi-purpose Hospital, Ugwunagbo.
He added that during the outreach, there would be free consultation services, maternal and child healthcare services, free diagnostic tests and minor surgeries. According to him, the wife of the Abia State Governor, Mrs. Priscilla Otti, would flag-off the event.
The Commissioner added that the enrollment of women, children and the elderly into the basic plan of Abia State Health Insurance Scheme would also take place at the event.
He used the opportunity to announce that Abia State candidates performed creditably by getting the best overall result in the country in the NECO which result was released recently, attributing the success of the candidates to the outcome of the current reform initiatives of the state government in the education sector.
The state Information boss revealed that the Governor would soon host the Abia State para-olympic contingent that did the state proud at the recently concluded para-Olympic Games held in Paris, France.
He stressed that “of particular note is Miss Onyinyechi Mark who won a gold medal in the 61kg category. Also to be feted with her is Miss Esther Nwaorgu who won a silver in the 41kg class.
Also, speaking the Commissioner for Sports and Youth Development, Mr. Nwaobilor Ananaba, narrated other successes so far achieved by the present administration in the sports sector, particularly the winning of medals and identification of talents through the Governor Alex Otti Secondary School Games competition that took place early this year.
He further disclosed that six players identified from the games have already travelled to Hungary to continue training. “We (Abia state government) are doing what we set out to do. We are intentional in what we are doing,” the Sports Commissioner said.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Mr. Ferdinand Ekeoma, and Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Ukoha Njoku Ukoha, were present at the briefing.
