The Abia State Government has categorically denied allegations by the national leadership of Organized Labour that the state is among 14 yet to implement the new National Minimum Wage, labeling the claim as misleading and inaccurate.
Addressing journalists on Sunday at the Government House in Umuahia during a meeting with state Organized Labour representatives, the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Pastor Caleb Ajagba, clarified that Abia was among the first states to adopt and implement the new wage structure. According to him, workers have been receiving payments under the new structure since October.
“It is misinformation that Abia State has not started the implementation of the new minimum wage. Abia workers have already been paid the first salary under the new minimum wage structure in their October salary, and this was continued in November,” Ajagba stated.
He reiterated Governor Alex Otti’s dedication to the welfare of workers and the administration’s focus on fostering industrial harmony. Ajagba expressed surprise at Abia’s inclusion on the list of non-compliant states, attributing the misunderstanding to minor discrepancies observed after the initial implementation.
“After the payment was made, the Organized Labour raised some concerns which they communicated to us. As a responsible government, we assured them that these issues would be addressed promptly,” Ajagba said.
He further assured workers that adjustments for employees on grade levels 8 to 16, who were affected by the discrepancies, would soon be resolved to ensure equitable pay.
Speaking at the briefing, the State Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Ogbonnaya Okoro, and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) Chairman, Comrade Ihechi Eneogwe, confirmed that the minimum wage had indeed been implemented since October. However, they acknowledged that it primarily benefited workers on grade levels 1 to 7, leaving those on higher grades with unresolved adjustments.
“Let me categorically say that Abia State implemented the minimum wage in October, but it did not favor all workers. It favored those on levels 1 to 7, while levels 8 to 16 were not properly taken care of,” Comrade Okoro noted.
He explained that the pay structure anomalies had created a situation where lower-grade workers received higher salaries than their higher-grade counterparts. Organized Labour has since engaged the government to rectify the issue.
“For instance, immediately after the implementation, workers on level 7 were earning more than those on level 10. This disparity is not supposed to happen,” Okoro added.
Government officials, including the Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Uwaoma Ukandu; Commissioner for Labour and Productivity, Comrade Sunny Onwuma; Head of Service, Dr. Ngozi Obioma; and Special Adviser to the Governor on Media, Mr. Ferdinand Ekeoma, were also present at the meeting. They reassured workers that the anomalies would be resolved swiftly to ensure fairness across all grade levels.
