Anambra state governor Chief Willie Obiano has reassured Civil servants in the state on plans by his administration to implement the new minimum wage.
The governor said that his administration is working out a sustainable format through which the new minimum wage could be implemented in the state adding that there is cordial relationship between his administration and the labour. He assured that there will be prompt payment of allowances and salaries within the first and second week of December.
The governor made this disclosure while declaring open the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employee’s seventh Quadrennial State delegates conference held in Awka. Obiano also urged workers not to be deterred by the opinions that other states have started paying the new minimum wage, noting that his government had begun negotiation for an increment in the salary scheme before the new minimum wage came on board.
The governor who was represented by the Head of Service, Barr. Harry Uduh urged the workers to understand their positions first as civil servants before anything else, while he also enjoined the incoming NULGE executives who would be elected to pilot the affairs of the union to toe the path of peace as his administration would not want the already existing peace and unity currently enjoyed in the state to be tempered with.
Earlier, the outgoing President of the NULGE Anambra state chapter, Comrade Sir Jerry Nnubia noted that the Anambra state chapter of the NULGE has recorded appreciable achievement in the areas of struggle for local government autonomy adding that the ill- conceived clamour for scrapping of local government system would have succeeded but for the NULGE persistent and consistent protests.
Comrade Jerry reiterated the need for the contributory pension scheme employed in the state be scrapped, while he urged the state government to refund workers from whose salaries deductions were made.
He commended Chief Willie Obiano who he described as ‘labour friendly governor’ for his regular and prompt payment of salaries, pensions and annual leave allowances to local government workers.
Meanwhile, the National president of NULGE, Comrade Ibrahim Khaleel represented by Comrade Igwe Patrick lauded the Anambra state government for the good relationship with the labour in the sate.
He called on governor willie Obiano to harken to the cries of the workers and address the issue of the contributory pension scheme but advised incoming executives to trail the path of peace and eschew greed to save the system from being messed up.
The Authority