Abia State Govt Debunks Reports of Defaulting in Implementation of Minimum Wage

The Abia State Government has debunked claims by the Nigerian Labour Congress that the state has defaulted on implementing the National Minimum Wage.

Addressing newsmen at the Government House, Umuahia, the Chief of Staff, Pastor Caleb Ajagba, said the Dr Alex Otti-led administration is not among the 14 states yet to implement the new N70,000 minimum wage.

He said the state government began implementing the new minimum wage in October.

While citing the Abia Government’s commitment to workers’ welfare, he said the implementation of the new minimum wage was in fulfilment of the government’s promise to be one of the first state governments that would pay the new minimum wage.

On his part, the State Chairperson of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Ogbonnaya Okoro, affirmed that the Dr. Alex Otti-led administration had commenced implementation of the N70,000 Minimum Wage in October.

Okoro said the organised labour in the state is in a closed-door meeting to resolve some grey areas regarding Consequential Salary Adjustment.

He added that there were discrepancies in the salaries of workers between grade levels 8 and 16.