THERE is cautious optimism and uncertainty across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) over the N30, 000 new minimum wage, following the continued failure of some state governments to pay salaries of their civil servants.
This in spite of the demand by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) for quick implementation of the new national minimum wage amended law recently signed by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Though states like Kano, Enugu, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Adamawa have promised to pay the new minimum wage, a number of others seems at the crossroads because of mounting unsettled wage bill running into months with no prospective of improved Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).
According to a report of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the IGR of the 36 states and the FCT stood at N579.49 billion in 2018. Abia, Anambra, Benue, Taraba, Kebbi, Kwara, Ebonyi and Enugu reportedly recorded a decline in IGR.
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Investigations by Sunday Tribune, at the weekend, indicated that there are apprehension in many of states, despite the promises of readiness to pay by some of them.
It will be recalled that the NLC had organised protest marches in Imo, Kogi, Nasarawa, Oyo, Osun, Ebonyi, Kaduna and Benue states to protest the poor condition of workers.
Benue
Workers in Benue State are still being owed several months of salary arrears. According to investigation, workers in the state civil service are owed five months salary arrears, while local government workers are owed nine months.
But the state government said it was making efforts to pay all the arrears.
The Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the governor, Terver Akase, said the government was not resting on how to clear the backlog of salary owed workers in the state.
Efforts to get the state chairman of NLC, Godwin Anyan, at the weekend to speak on the union’s reaction to the outstanding salary were not successful as calls made to his phone lines were not connected.
But an official of the union, who said he was not authorised to speak, hinted that the state government had shown seriousness on the welfare of workers, adding that it had also promised to clear the salary arrears.
181,000 workforce, N9.6b wage in Kano
According to Sunday Tribune’s investigation, the total workforce of Kano State stands at 181,000, while the monthly wage bill is said to be about N9.6 billion.
But despite this huge bill, the state government said it had decided to pay the new minimum wage.
The state Head of Service (HoS), Alhaji Muhammed Awwal Na’iya, said the N9.6 billion monthly wage bill dependent “on the number of staff that got on the payroll, based on fresh employment.”
He said the state had decided to pay whatever minimum wage approved by the Federal Government “the moment all necessary documents are signed and issued out.”
NLC chairman in the state, Comrade Ado Minjibir, who corroborated the claim by the HoS, said “since assumption of office, Governor Umar Ganduje has not owed us, the civil servants, salary.”
Pensioners’ burden worry in Rivers
Workers in Rivers State have not had any issues with the state governor over the implementation of salary increment by the Federal Government. This has created a harmonious labour environment in the state.
Speaking with Sunday Tribune in Port Harcourt, a senior civil servant who would not want her name in print confirmed that the governor was up to date on salary payment.
She, however, pointed out that the governor was yet to pay pensioners in the state, explaining that the thorny issue over the state contributory pension scheme might have been responsible for the non-payment of pensions of some of the state’s retired civil servants.
She added that pensioners who had completed their biometrics, as recently requested by the state government, had started getting their pensions, while the government had sent an amendment to the State Contributory Pensions Law to the House of Assembly for amendment.
A’Ibom ready for N30,000 wage
The Akwa Ibom State HoS, Mrs. Ekereobong Akpan, said the Udom Emmnauel-led administration was not owing workers in the state.
She declared that “the state government is not owing workers salary,” adding that “we have paid our workers up to date.”
Former state chairman of the NLC, Comrade Etim Ukpong, whose tenure ended at the weekend, commended Governor Emmanuel for “the cordial relationship between the government and the labour force.”
Enugu
In Enugu State, workers have no claim of unpaid salary. The state pays the N18,000. 00 minimum wage as and when due and has assured the workers that it would pay the N30,000. 00 minimum wage as endorsed by the Federal Government.
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