Akwa Ibom State civil servants have expressed frustration over Governor Umo Eno’s perceived silence on the implementation of the new minimum wage of N70,000.
They have vowed to embark on industrial action if the state government fails to address the issue.
Civil servants at the Idongesit Nkanga Secretariat expressed concern over the governor’s inaction. “Pastor Umo Eno does not seem to be worried or disturbed over the plight of civil servants,” one worker said. “Imagine non-oil producing states like Adamawa and Ebonyi announcing the swift implementation of the new minimum wage, but our state with the highest federal government monthly allocation, is not making any move.”
The State Chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Sunny James, warned workers against embarking on a strike. “Let them not try it, I will be mad with such a group of workers in this state. There must be a salary table drawn by the National salary and Wages Commission before states can commence their implementation of the new wage bill.”
Recall that Governor Eno had promised to pay whatever the federal government arrived at during the discussion on the new salary structure. However, civil servants are growing impatient, citing the highest food inflation in the nation’s history and the need for a swift implementation of the new minimum wage.
