Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State has approved the payment of a new minimum wage of N80,000 for civil servants in the state. The payment, which takes effect from November 2024, will benefit only verified personnel, totaling 45,000 workers.
This development was announced in a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Ekerete Udoh, in Uyo on Tuesday.
The approval came after the submission of the Minimum Wage and Personnel Verification report by the Head of Service, Mr. Effiong Essien, to the governor on Monday. The report served as a key step in finalizing the process and ensuring that only eligible workers receive the updated wage.
In the statement, Mr. Udoh noted that the payments would commence at the end of January 2025 but would be backdated to cover November and December 2024.
He explained, “Governor Umo Eno has authorised the commencement of the payment of the new minimum wage of N80,000 to 45,000 duly verified public service workers, beginning at the end of this month but backdated to November 2024.”
The governor had earlier set up an implementation committee in December 2024 to ensure a smooth transition to the new wage system. The committee’s primary task was to conduct the verification of personnel, a step deemed necessary to prevent payment irregularities and ensure that only genuine workers benefit from the new policy.
