Ini Billie, Uyo
The Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno has granted the many requests of the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress during the May Day celebration.
One of the requests is the promise to implement the National minimum wage for workers in the state once modalities for the process are completed by the Federal Government.
Eno who stated this on Wednesday in Uyo while addressing workers during the May Day celebration held at the Uyo Township stadium promised to put the people first in governance.
He promised to recruit more healthcare workers to man the Primary Healthcare Centres
“Today, I believe we have fulfilled those promises and the many others you have made, we will look into them.
“As of today, permit me to mention that we have disbursed about N16.1 billion in the payment of gratuities of retired state civil servants primary school teachers, and local government workers.
“There is no month we have not released gratuities to pay our retirees. As I stand here today, I am approving another N2 billion for the payment of gratuities across the board for April. We will continue to monitor this payment to be sure it is going to the right people. Please labour and keep us informed when you know things are not going in the right direction.
“We have approved and granted the release of the outstanding 7.5 contributory pensions scheme. We have authorised and paid the three-month wage award. We have released 2023 promotions, and we have increased pensions for retirees who retired before 2012.
“We have granted approval for the conduct of service examination, and we have released the promotion, and we are preparing for 2024.
“We have invested in affordable housing units for our workers. Two weeks ago, I undertook an inspection of a housing estate for Low and medium-level workers in Ibiono. I have authorised and work is ongoing on the third ring road to open up that space so we can link our workers straight up to Uyo, so they can come to work.
“We have approved your land allocation, and you can start your project at any given time. We have authorised the direct compilation of casual workers in the state and the 13-month salary is ongoing.
“We just recently appointed and sworn into office 12 new permanent secretaries and that is ongoing because a lot of permanent secretaries would be retiring, and we would be bringing others on board.
“We will continue to work with you to ensure that we support our workers. If we have succeeded at all, it is because we have the cooperation of all of the workers here and we will continue to do our best to make you happy.
“On the minimum wage, we wait on the Federal Government and then, we would key into it and come to terms with the minimum wage for Akwa Ibom civil servants,” he stated.
Speaking earlier, State Chairman, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Sunny James had appealed to Governor Umo Eno to implement the National minimum wage in the state, while commending his achievements in office in eleven months.
James said the theme of the May Day celebration, “People first” was very apt considering the economic challenges Nigerian workers were made to go through as a result of government policies without the corresponding increase in workers’ salaries.
He called on the Federal Government to reverse policies that were making the people suffer.
The NLC Chairman urged Governor Eno to provide transport vehicles for civil servants to lighten the burden of transportation costs, as well as increase the pensions of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners, institute a petroleum task force that would dismantle the cartel among major marketers diverting fuel meant for Akwa Ibom State.
He called for an investigation into the non-compliance of some International Oil Companies (IOCs) with the local content law that mandates them to employ indigenes of host communities as workers, and the building of a petroleum tank farm in Oron as only one out of the four available in the state is currently working.
Also speaking, Chairman, Trade Union Congress, Dominic Abang, urged the governor to tackle fraud in pension administration and institutionalise a pension framework by establishing a pensions board.
Abang also requested the establishment of a legal and administrative framework for the sustainability of the Bulk Purchase Agency recently created by the government and the expansion of the social register to accommodate more persons for the distribution of free food items.