By DAMIAN UGWU
The Governor of Enugu State, Bar Peter Mba, has announced his plan to pay the minimum wage to civil srvants in the state to improve their standard of living and productivity.
Gov Mba, represented by the SSG, Prof Chidiebere Oyia, stated this during the annual New Year prayer programme held at the New State Secretariat, Enugu, on Monday.
The event, which was organized by labour unions, attracted members of the clergy, labour union leaders, Head of Service, chairman, Civil Service Commission; commissioners, permanent secretaries, directors and heads of departments from various ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs).
Mba said the minimum wage would take effect as soon as ‘the Federal Government gives approval’, stressing ‘the need to stick to the 2024 budget in order to achieve the government economic growth target of N252 billion naira and 25 GDP’.
He said that the implementation of the minimum wage would enable the workers to brace for the challenges of high cost of living and inflation in the country, pointing out that through productivity, he would make Enugu State the best paying salary state in Nigeria.
The chairman, Trade Union Congress (TUC), Enugu State Chapter, Ben Asogwa, acknowledged the governor’s proposal to pay the minimum wage, urging him to commence the payment before April this year.
He also thanked him for the payment of salary awards to civil servants,
and appealed for the inclusion of retirees and imcrement of that of LGA staff from N10,000. to N25,000.
The chairman, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Enugu State Chapter, Fabian Nwaigbo, described Peter Mba as ‘the most labour friendly governor’, and lauded him for taking a bold step to improve the workers’ welfare.
The chaplain, Enugu Government House, Rev. Fr. Anthony Ude, said the year 2024 would be ‘a year of revival and recovery in Enugu’, and asked for God’s guidance and protection in running the affairs of the government.
The chairman of the state Civil Service Commission, Mt Robinson Odo, charged the civil servants to put in their best to ensure that ‘polices and programmes of the government are properly implemented’.
