Anambra has not implemented N30,000 minimum wage - Head of Service

Tony Okafor, Awka

Close to four years after President Muhammadu Buhari signed the national minimum wage of N30,000 into law, the Anambra State Head of Service( HoS) Mrs Theodore Igwegbe has said the state government has not implemented the wage fully in the state.


As a consequence, the HoS has called on the state governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, to consider full implementation of the national minimum wage in the state and upward review of salaries to reflect the economic realities of the day.

She stated these during the governor's meeting with civil servants in the state on Wednesday.

Buhar while signing the minimum wage law in April, 2019 said, " It gives the workers the right if you are compelled by any circumstance to accept salary that is less than N30, 000, to sue your employer to recover the balance and authorises the minister of labour and any person nominated by Minister of Labour, or any person designated by the Minister of Labour in any ministry, department or agency to on your behalf take action in your name against such employer to recover the balance of your wages.
“It also ensures and mandates National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission and the Minister of Labour, to be the chief and principal enforcers of the provisions of this law. And this law applies to all agencies, persons and bodies throughout the Federal Republic of Nigeria, adding that " The effective date is April 18, 2019".

But in her address during the civil servants' meeting with Soludo at Jerome Udorji Secretariat in Awka, on Wednesday, the Head of Service said the government was yet to implement the full payment of national minimum wage in the state.

She also urged the governor to approve and provide funds for the Civil Service Commission to conduct 2021 and 2022 promotion interviews in January 2023 and that of 2023 before 1st July, next year.
She decried the over politicisation of the public service in Anambra, excessive government interference and absence of performance measurement standards.

She said, “As a routine, governments constantly interfere in the day to day running of the service through frequent changes of top officials and massive purges such that political factors rather than merit now plays a major role in the civil service.
“The politicisation has weakened the institutions of the civil service and created anomalies such as irregular and arbitrary appointments into the service, which leads to square pegs being forced into round holes.
“The absence of measurable objectives has led to a situation where the activities of civil servants are difficult to assess in a clear, consistent manner, this creates performance management problems."

Speaking, Soludo appreciated the public servants in Anambra for voting for the All Progressives Grand Alliance in the 2021 governorship election and for their contributions towards the achievement of his ‘Solution Agenda’ and successes so far.
He said his administration was focused on making Anambra a prosperous and livable homeland with simultaneous attention to policy thrusts of Security, Law and Order, Economic Transformation, Social Agenda, Transformation Governance and Environment.

He announced the suspension of Christmas Rice to public workers in Anambra as used to be under administration of Chief Willie Obiano and its replacement with monetary gift of N15,000 across board, including retirees.

He said the review was informed by the inflationary trend which had increased the price of 25kg rice from about N8,000 to N21,000 as well as the need to make workers have options of what to buy according to their various needs.

Soludo also announced a salary increment of 10 per cent for workers in the state effective next year to cushion the effect of the general inflation which is eroding the value of income.

He said Anambra could no longer afford the loss of 20 per cent of its public life to sit-at-home which, he said, was already becoming part of life in the South-East.

He said his administration had successfully combated criminality which held eight Local Government Areas of the state under siege at the time he was inaugurated in March this year.

He said, “Eight LGAs were totally taken over at the time we came in; they said they were unknown gunmen, no, they are known gunmen born of women and from communities.

“Last week, one mad man living in Finland said he was declaring sit-at-home, it was only in Anambra that it was not observed. By the time you return next year, we shall stop sit-at-home.

“We must get back to work, working five days in a week, we must take back Anambra from the criminals, we can not build a prosperous Anambra when we work four days, when our children go to school four days, that is a 20 per cent loss in productivity,” the governor stated.

Soludo thinks that he can secure the votes of civil servants like Obiano by fraternising with them,he wouldn't get a second tenure with his poor performance and back biting of Peter Obi. Common refuse disposal is beyond him despite closing markets for days with his usual talkativeness. Na only tax and agboros are his achievements that are been felt by the state residents so far.