The Akwa Ibom State government has announced the implementation of an N80,000 minimum wage for 45,984 verified public servants, effective November 1, 2024.
Governor Umo Eno directed the Office of the Accountant General to begin payments this January, marking a significant development for civil servants in the state. 
This decision follows the submission of the report by the Committee on the Implementation of the New Minimum Wage/Personnel Verification, led by Elder Effiong Essien, the Head of Service.
During the submission on Tuesday, Governor Eno commended the committee’s efforts and stressed the importance of extending the exercise to retired workers’ pension schemes.
“Having received this report today, I will be signing this off to the Office of the Accountant General, Auditor General, and the Director of Budget.
For those who have been cleared—about 45,984 of them—we should be ready to pay the minimum wage at the end of this month, effective from November 1, 2024,” the governor stated.
Governor Eno also highlighted the state’s commitment to worker welfare.
“The Civil Service forms a critical mass of employees in our state government. Since we came on board, their welfare has remained a key priority,” he said, noting that the increase would help address economic challenges faced by workers.
However, the governor issued a 30-day ultimatum to unverified civil servants to complete the verification process, emphasizing that failure to do so would result in the suspension of salaries.
“If they don’t show up within the time specified, we will take it that they are not civil servants, and their salaries will be stopped,” he warned.
The governor also accepted the committee’s recommendation for annual verification exercises and extended the committee’s mandate to include pensions.
“If what we uncovered can happen with serving personnel, you can imagine what may be happening where people have unfortunately passed and are still being paid. We need to quickly carry out the verification exercise in that area too,” he added.
Since taking office, Governor Eno’s administration has made strides in improving labor relations, including the payment of over ₦47 billion in gratuities from a ₦97 billion backlog since 2012.
He urged organized labor to continue collaborating with the government to ensure the effective implementation of policies benefiting civil servants.
The Implementation Committee on the Minimum Wage, inaugurated in December, includes representatives from various ministries, labor unions, and other stakeholders.
Their collaborative efforts highlight the state’s commitment to fostering transparency and fairness in implementing the new wage policy.
This move is expected to ease the financial burdens of civil servants and provide a morale boost, especially during challenging economic times.
However, with these reforms, the Akwa Ibom government aims to set a standard for other states in prioritizing the welfare of workers.
