Imo Now Pays N104,000, Ebonyi N90,000 Minimum Wage – APC Chieftain
By Felix Oti Awka
The National Vice Chairman (South East) of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Dr. Ijeomah Arodiogbu, MBBS, PhD, has declared that no state government in Nigeria is currently owing workers’ salaries, attributing the development to the bold economic reforms of *President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Dr. Arodiogbu, who is also Board Chairman of the David Umahi Federal University Teaching Hospital, Ebonyi State, made the assertion while assessing the impact of federal economic reforms on the finances of the 36 states and the FCT.
“Before President Tinubu came into office, we had a situation where many states were struggling with salary arrears, pension obligations and other recurrent expenditures and often resorted to borrowing or issuing bonds simply to meet payroll. The Federal Government was equally under tremendous fiscal pressure,” he said.
“The old system was not sustainable. Government was spending enormous resources to subsidise petrol while states and local governments were receiving insufficient resources to meet their obligations. The consequence was salary arrears, accumulated debts and declining capacity to fund development,” Dr. Arodiogbu stated.
The APC National Vice Chairman said President Tinubu’s decision to remove petrol subsidy and undertake major reforms in foreign exchange and fiscal policy was aimed at correcting structural weaknesses.
“Today, that ugly narrative has changed. No state is owing salary. This is a direct result of President Tinubu’s reforms, which have injected more resources into the system and given governors the fiscal space to prioritise the welfare of public servants,” he said.
“The result is that more resources are now flowing to the Federal Government, states and local governments. That is why we are seeing a different fiscal reality across the country,” Arodiogbu stated.
Citing the South-East, Dr. Arodiogbu noted the upward review of minimum wages in Imo and Ebonyi States beyond the national N70,000 benchmark. He said Imo under Governor Hope Uzodimma raised its minimum wage to N104,000, while Ebonyi moved to N90,000.
He added that the improved revenue position has enabled progressive states to clear outstanding gratuities and pension arrears, and invest in infrastructure and social programmes.
“We have moved from a situation where governments were constantly battling to survive to a situation where states have greater resources and greater responsibility. President Tinubu has changed the fiscal architecture. The challenge now is for every level of government to convert increased revenue into tangible improvements in the lives of Nigerians,” he said.
Dr. Arodiogbu called on Nigerians, especially Ndigbo in the South East, to remain supportive of the Tinubu administration, expressing confidence that the President will receive overwhelming votes from the region in 2027.
