The Governor of Ebonyi State, Francis Nwifuru, has approved the implementation of a new minimum wage of ₦70,000 for civil servants within the state.
During a press briefing at the New Government House in Abakaliki, the capital of Ebonyi State, the Governor clarified that this ₦70,000 minimum wage should not be interpreted as a salary increase.
He emphasized that this figure represents the minimum amount any worker will receive rather than applying to the entire workforce.
Additionally, he instructed the State Head of Service to develop the necessary procedures for the disbursement of the new minimum wage.
“There’s a difference between minimum wage and salary increment. The minimum wage is not a salary increment. It’s not as if ₦70,000 is going to be topped on everybody’s salary; it’s not possible; that’s not what minimum wage is all about. The new minimum wage means that a worker gets the lowest salary.
“The new minimum wage act is bidding on everybody, Ebonyi State government will pay the ₦70,000 new minimum wage, as from the day the Head of Service and the civil servants agree on the formula and present it to me, then we will pay,” the Ebonyi State Governor noted.
Nwifuru also restated his commitment to adhere strictly to the Supreme Court ruling on Financial autonomy for Local government councils.
“Ebonyi state government will obey the Supreme Court ruling on Local government financial autonomy because as it stands today as a Governor, I can’t remember a day, I touched Local government resources or funds, I have never done that”.
“We have conducted Local government election. We are going to implement the ruling of the Supreme Court by allowing the local governments to manage their finances and execute the projects they want to execute”, he added.
Uphold Workers’ Rights On ₦70,000 Minimum Wage Or Face Consequences – NLC To State Leaders
Meanwhile, following the recent signing of the ₦70,000 National Minimum Wage Act by President Bola Tinubu, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has cautioned its state council leaders to ensure full implementation or face repercussions.
While some states have started discussions on the wage adjustments required by the new law, many—including the Federal Government—have yet to act.
The challenge now is to determine the consequential adjustments and ensure smooth implementation at the state and local government levels.
In anticipation of this, the NLC has launched a training initiative for its state council leaders to equip them with practical strategies for negotiating and enforcing the new wage.
The goal is to avoid past mistakes and ensure that all workers benefit from the law.
During a two-day workshop for the Northern Zone, NLC President Joe Ajaero urged state leaders to stay loyal to workers and resist the temptation of personal gain.
He warned that any leader who compromises on implementing the minimum wage for selfish interests would face severe consequences.
The NLC President stated that the workshop theme, ‘Strategies for Effective Implementation of the 2024 National Minimum Wage Act,’ is designed to prepare the leaders for the task ahead.
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