Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti has directed that the salary structure for new the National Minimum Wage be reworked to correct the errors observed in the consequential adjustments.
Speaking in a crucial meeting he held with the leadership of various workers’ union in the State led by NLC Chairman, Comrade Ogbonnaya Okoro, the Governor assured that his administration would work with the leadership of the Organized Labour in handling it.
“I have instructed my people. I have instructed them to go and look at it again.
“In the next few days we will be engaging with the leadership of the Labour so that we will make necessary adjustments. So, my team will go back and look into it.
Governor Otti announced that he would pay both the December salary and 13th month salary of the workers before 20th of December 2024, describing his administration as workers’ governernment.
The Governor however frowned at the attitude of Abia pensioners who after receiving their many years of pension arrears in line with the agreement entered with government turned back to accuse government of deceiving them.
While pointing out that his administration met on ground unpaid pension arrears dating from 2014 and has defrayed same, he noted that from April this year Abia pensioners have been receiving their full pension on the 28th of every month and thanked the Concerned Abia Pensioners for speaking up on the matter.
“The first time I met with the NUP leadership, they were clear to me to say that what was important to them was to be able to plan so if the government would be able to commit to paying them 100 percent of their pension from that month, that we should forget about the arrears and I felt it was not fair”.
In his reaction, the Chairman Abia State chapter of the NLC, Comrade Ogbonnaya Okoro while appreciating the Governor for his benevolence for the Abia workforce and his decision to correct the errors observed in the payment said they would present other issues of concerns to the Governor later.
He assured Governor Otti of the sustained support of the workers to ensure he succeeds in office.
