Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, has refuted claims that the state has received financial support from the Federal Government to pay 35,000 Naira wage awards to workers in the state.
Governor Otti who made the clarification, Friday, in a meeting with leaders of the organized labour in Abia state comprising the NLC, TUC and the Joint Negotiating Council, stated unequivocally that no funds have been provided to implement such payments.
The Governor’s clarification comes amid widespread rumors and misinformation suggesting that the Federal Government had disbursed money to states, including Abia, to facilitate the payment of FG’s 35,000 Naira wage awards.
“There has been misleading stories all over the place that the Federal government gave monies to the state governments for the implementation of the wage award.
“Last time I checked, there were no such monies. This state has not received a dime from the Federal government to implement any wage award“, Gov Otti asserted.
In response to the NLC’s complaint that State Government workers are paid 20,100 Naira while local government workers receive only 18,000 Naira as the minimum wage, the Governor instructed the Accountant General to collaborate with the Labour Union to reconcile the actual minimum wage received by the least paid worker in the state within the next week.
“I see the payroll and i didn’t see anyone that is paid less than thirty thousand naira and that is the minimum wage.
“Maybe something is wrong and I’ll like the Accountant General to please go and look into that because what is available to me is that we are complying with the minimum wage of thirty thousand naira and that the least paid worker is actually paid thirty thousand, one hundred.
“When I read in the media that we are not complying, (with the minimum wage), I take it as a hatchet man’s job but you repeating it here means something is wrong somewhere and I’ll like that a reconciliation happens between the Organized Labor and the Office of the Accountant General.
“Luckily the Accountant General is seated here so I will give a directive that between now and the next one week, I need to be sure that sometime happens”, Otti said
He addressed concerns regarding the state’s compliance with the National Minimum Wage
and expressed the state’s readiness to implement it once the Federal government finalizes its decision.
The Governor acknowledged the need for a National Minimum Wage increase due to various economic concerns, including the removal of Petroleum subsidies, Foreign Exchange Rate adjustments, Inflation, and poverty and assured that the state is preparing for it’s implementation.
“We don’t want to move ahead of the Federal government, so that’s why I’m showing keen interest in discussions between the Federal government and the organized labour at the center,” he stated.
On the issue of Promotions and Leave Allowances, the Governor explained that Command Promotions were reversed due to it’s flawed process, noting that it was bastardized by the past administration.
Governor Otti who however, assured that regular promotions will continue, directed the Accountant General to disburse leave allowances to the workers.
The Governor acknowledged the unexpected arrears of salaries owed to institutions such as ABSU, ASCETA, and Abia Poly by the previous administration and informed that he is seeking virement from the State House of Assembly to address these financial challenges, assuring that the arrears would be paid in tranches.
Governor Otti also directed the Head of Service and Accountant General to henceforth involve the Organized Labour in the workers’ Verification Exercises.
He announced that Government would create a Ministry of Labour and Productivity to further
enhance relationship and address Labour concerns more effectively, and assured the appointment of a substantive Commissioner from the Labour Community to head the new Ministry.
Earlier, while speaking on behalf of other members of the Organized Labour, the State NLC Chairman, Comrade Ogbonnaya Okoro, expressed satisfaction with the harmonious relationship between the Labour Union and the state government.
Comrade Okoro highlighted several issues prompting the notice of an intended industrial action which include the non-payment of the ₦30,000 minimum wage, non-payment of the ₦35,000 wage award, exclusion of labour from the verification exercise, and non-payment of leave and severance allowances for recently retired Permanent Secretaries and Directors.
He also pointed out issues related to promotions among other concerns and emphasized that the directive to issue the notice of strike originated from the National Body.
