Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State said payment of new minimum wage to civil servants in the state will begin this January, dismissing being pressured by Organised Labour.
“Once that report is presented those that were verified we would pay from 1 November this January. It does not need any letter from anybody.”
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Mr Eno stated this on Sunday at the 2025 Thanksgiving Service of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Akwa Ibom State Council, held at his country home, Ikot Ekpene Udo, Nsit Ubium Local Government Area of the state.
Themed “Grace upon grace”, the event had journalists, members of the political class and others in attendance.
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In his remark at the event, the Chairperson of NUJ in the state, Amos Etuk, who will be exiting the office later in the year after serving for two terms of six years, thanked members of the union and the state government for supporting his administration.
Mr Etuk specifically thanked Governor Eno for being the first sitting governor in the state to attend the union’s event in person. He also appreciated the governor for mobilising contractors to complete a project for the union at its secretariat.
Minimum wage payment to begin in January
Governor Eno approved N80,000, an amount that is N10,000 higher than the N70,000 approved by the federal government as the new minimum wage for workers in the state, but conditioned the commencement of payment to completion of a staff verification exercise.
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Citing Japa Syndrome, Mr Eno said there were a lot of ghost workers in the civil service, which the staff audit intended to fish out before implementing the new minimum wage.
He, however, bowed to pressure from Organised Labour in the state and signed an agreement to begin payment in December but later unilaterally backed out of the agreement, doubling down on completion of verification as a condition for payment.
In a letter dated 16 January and addressed to Mr Eno, Labour said if the minimum wage is not paid in January, it would be left with no option but to shut down the state workforce.
“Unfortunately, despite the conclusion of the exercise on 3 January, credible information suggests that the Government is no longer prepared to fulfil that commitment as alleged January salaries have been computed using the old template,” the Labour said.
The Labour urged the government to direct the issuance of minimum wage circulars with salary templates to respective ministries, departments and agencies for implementation.
At the event, Mr Eno said he learnt verification was completed and would be presented to him by the Head of Civil Service tomorrow (Monday), stressing that verified workers will get payment beginning in January.
“Let no one deceive you that they pressure me, nobody pressures me,” he said, referring to the threat by Labour to shut down the state workforce if minimum wage payment does not begin in January.
“One day I will allow you to embark on strike and see whether the government will not progress,” the governor added.
He took a swipe at Organised Labour in the state for leaking a letter they wrote to him to the press, saying he was yet to receive it when he saw it in the press, an action he described as an “insult.”
Mr Eno further berated Labour for always threatening him with strikes. The governor queried why Labour didn’t strike when past administrations were owing N97 billion, referring to retirees’ gratuities and pensions he inherited.
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“I have paid N47 billion (so far), and this month, I will continue to pay it; it is when you want to strike. What does your strike imply, he said, alluding to Labour in the state.
“If you’ve not been verified into the state civil service I will not pay you. Strike anyhow you want.
“For those that have been verified this January, we would pay you from 1 November and we would start to pay. That has been our commitment. I don’t go back on those things I say.”
The governor acknowledged workers as the backbone of the state and promised to work with them to ensure their welfare is paramount.
Mr Eno thanked NUJ for hosting the Thanksgiving Service in his country home and for supporting the government and announced a donation of an SUV for the chairperson of the union and 11 cars for members of the executives.
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