New Minimum Wage: Abia pays highest in South East

As civil servants in Abia State have start enjoying the new minimum wage, both organized Labour and the state government have said that Abia was paying the highest amount of salary among the five South East states in Nigeria.

Commissioner for Information, John Okiyi Kalu, said in Umuahia Monday while reacting to government’s payment of N30, 000 National Minimum Wage for the month of January, that Abia pays the highest wages to its workers than other states in the South East.

This view was corroborated by the Chairman of the Abia State Joint Negotiating Council, Comrade Chris Okoro, who told newsmen in Umuahia Monday that available statistics indicate that Abia was paying the highest minimum wage in the South East.

“In two South East states,” said Kalu, “civil servants on Level 9 there receive about N35, 000 based on new minimum wage. If you see Step 15 of their Level 9, it came to about N40, 000.

“But in Abia State, the civil servant is going home with N72, 500. We are proud of the fact that in the South East region, we had a better deal than others. Workers are workers. All Igbo state workers are workers.

“But in Abia State, I have given you a comparative measure, I said Level 9 in two neighbouring states of Anambra and Ebonyi, let me call their names, you receiveN35, 000.”

He debunked rumours of alleged plans to compel some workers to forfeit backlog of their salaries to receive the new minimum wage.

“Keep me on record as saying that nobody is forfeiting any earned wage. What we said was that there was no point going back to that outstanding, can we start from January to pay you the new minimum wage. You have outstanding because it is an earned wage, so we must pay as the resources are available. Government owes that money. There is no question of forfeiting it,” the Commissioner said.

In a chat with newsmen in his office, Okoro confirmed that Abia State pays the highest salary to civil servants in the five South East States.

According to the Labour leader, Abia State government went beyond limiting to payment to Grade Level 01, Step 1 as stipulated by the federal government, to extend it to Grade Level 06.

Okoro disclosed that for those on Grade Level 07, instead of adjusting their salaries by percentage, government approved a flat increment of N10, 000 for them.

“Abia is topping on salary in the whole South East,” Okoro said. I have contacted my colleagues in other state Anambra, Enugu; Ebonyi is not to be mentioned because they have nothing; and Imo has not concluded but we know where they are going.

So, it is not a claim, it is an issue that anybody can proof. So Abia is still the highest paid state in the South East.,” Okoro said, adding that the statistics were obtained following the conclusion of new minimum wage negotiations.

But that is not to say that in Abia, our expectations have actually been met. However, we are still on top,” he insisted.

He also expressed worry over the delay in payment of salaries to teachers, especially those in secondary schools.

New Minimum Wage: Abia pays highest in South East