…as workers beg for minimum wage
Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, has approved the release of N6,432,924,257.62 for additional payment of gratuity and other entitlements to retired civil servants in the state.
A breakdown of the payment is as follows: N1,000,000,000 as payment of gratuities for retired primary school teachers (SUBEB); N500,000,000 for the payment of gratuities of retired local government workers; N2,220,524,257.62 being the payment of gratuities, pension arrears, and enbloc for state retired civil service workers; N597,400,000.00, for the 2014 leave grant for local government workers and N2,115,000.000.00 representing the payment for leave grant for workers in the state civil service, bringing the total amount of funds released by Governor Eno in the months of July and August, respectively, to N6,432,924, 257.62.
The release of the above amount brings to over N28 billion that Governor Umo Eno has so far disbursed for the payments of gratuities and other entitlements to retired civil servants in the state.
Already, 150 units out of the 236 units at the Grace Homes Estate are to be given out to civil servants from grades level 1-8, free of charge through a raffle draw selection process.
In a related development, civil servants are worried by the sudden silence of the governor over the implementation of the N70,000 minimum wage recently approved by the Federal Government.
In a survey by our correspondent, state civil servants expressed dismay why states with relatively low federal allocations swiftly announced implementation, while Akwa Ibom with about the highest federal allocation is dragging feet to implement the new minimum wage.
While appreciating the governor’s political philosophy as expressed in his inclusive governance, compassion to retired civil servants, the elderly and the ”Poorest of the poor’, they implored him to approve the implementation of the new minimum wage in Akwa Ibom as done in other states.
