The Abia State Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Uchenna Obigwe has countered the recent claims made by the National President of the Union, Ayuba Wabba over the implementation of minimum wage for workers in the state, describing the statement as false.
Recall that the NLC President, Wabba, who recently spoke at a public lecture organized by the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, had accused the Abia state Government of failing to implement the minimum wage.
But Obigwe while addressing Journalists in Umuahia described the allegation as a “copious misrepresentation and misinformation”, insisting that the State Government has fully implemented the minimum wage to Abia workers.
The Abia NLC Chairman noted that the State Government in 2019, in conjunction with the organized labour constituted a minimum wage committee headed by the a former state chairman of Joint Public Service Negotiating Council (JNC), Comrade Chris Okoro which midwifed the 30,000 naira minimum wage in the state.
Comrade Obigwe noted that the 30,000 Naira Minimum Wage paid to Abia workers has currently placed the state tops above other South East States adding that the state government has fully implemented the CONHESS and CONMESS to their health workers 100%.
He said: “The ₦30,000 Minimum Wage for Abia State by all ramifications was and is still the best in the South East. What Ebonyi State workers are presently taking is what Abia State workers took as minimum wage in 2011.
“Anambra State only added Three thousand naira to their 2011 Minimum Wage while Enugu State added four thousand naira to their 2011 minimum wage and just started paying 60% CONHESS and CONMESS to their health workers just last year 2021 while Imo state is yet to do anything on the issue of 2019 ₦30,000 minimum wage.
“It is therefore surprising and preposterous to say that Abia State Government has not implemented the 2019 ₦30,000 minimum wage”.
Obigwe, on behalf of the Organized Labour in Abia state advised the National leadership of NLC to rather, “encourage the state government to do more for Abia workers instead of disparaging the state for whatever reasons”.
