David Akachukwu
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Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State has approved an increase in the minimum wage for civil servants to N104,000.
The governor announced this during a meeting with leaders of various labour unions on Tuesday evening at the Government House in Owerri.
The new wage represents a rise from the previous N76,000 minimum wage.
In addition, the minimum salary for doctors was raised from N215,000 to N503,000, while tertiary institution teachers saw their minimum wage increase from N119,000 to N222,000, among other adjustments.
Governor Uzodimma acknowledged the numerous challenges faced by Imo residents since his administration began, including insecurity, the COVID-19 pandemic, economic difficulties linked to reform policies, and tensions over minimum wage and subsidy removal.
“We tried as a government to always put it behind our mind that there is no way any government will do well if it doesn’t have a friendly and cordial relationship with the organised labour.
“When workers are paid well, productivity rises, families are happier, and the local economy grows.
“This is our way of investing in Imo people. The government believes in stimulating political and economic activities, carrying bureaucrats along, and making sure that workers’ welfare is highly respected,” he said.
The governor highlighted significant growth in the state’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), which has increased from N400 million to over N3 billion monthly.
He noted that federal allocations to Imo have also grown, from between N5 billion and N7 billion in 2020 to around N14 billion currently.
“In 2020, the state recorded a debt profile of over N280 billion but has reduced to less than N100 billion,” he added.
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Reflecting on the state’s condition when he took office, Uzodimma said that key infrastructure across sectors was in a state of collapse.
He revealed that considerable resources have since been invested in rebuilding roads and addressing security challenges.
Regarding the removal of the fuel subsidy, the governor acknowledged its impact on raising living costs but also recognized the policy’s benefits.
“It is a thing of joy that we have started seeing the dividends of that bold decision of President Bola Tinubu to remove fuel subsidy.
“What the government is confronted with now is how to ensure that the dividends of that policy trickle down to the common man on the street.
“Cognisant of the fact that our effort has started yielding dividends and that our IGR had improved and that reform policies of the President have also increased our allocations to sub-national governments, every responsible government must be transparent about it,” he said.
The governor also announced that the state government will begin paying the final tranche of gratuities, amounting to N16 billion owed to pensioners, starting August 27.
He noted that his administration has implemented significant health sector reforms, including launching health insurance schemes and upgrading medical facilities to provide high-quality care for Imo residents.
Uzodimma further stated that the government is participating in the Federal Government’s initiative to establish 1,000 businesses in every active INEC ward.
He called on labour unions to unite for improved cooperation with the government and urged workers to avoid unethical behaviour and inefficiency, while encouraging greater productivity.
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Jonathan Nwokpor
