Akwa Ibom govt set to pay new minimum wage, vows not to sack workers

The Akwa Ibom State Government has said it is ready to pay the new minimum wage of N30,000 recently signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari.

This was disclosed by the state’s Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Charles Udoh during an interactive session with newsmen.

According Udoh, Governor Udom Emmanual, had during one of his several interactions with labour unions given the assurance that the state would pay the new wage.

“Now that Nigeria is ready, we will also set up machineries to ensure that our workers are not left out. Don’t forget that in times past, timely payment of salaries was not available until the present administration was birthed,” Udoh said.

He also dismissed the speculations that the payment of the new minimum wage could lead to massive job losses as states may be forced to cut jobs in order to be able to pay the new salary.

Udoh, who pointed out that the Emmanuel administration started with a five-point agenda, which had job creation, poverty alleviation and wealth creation as an integral part, and was also focused on people-oriented and sustainable development programmes, said these were aimed at making the people of the state less dependent on government for employment.

Insisting that instead of taking actions that would lead to job losses, the governor had put in place various programmes to create more jobs in the state, adding that the industrialisation programme of the state government was aimed at creating more jobs, through direct and indirect employment, and also stimulating the state’s economic growth.

 

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