From Tony Icheku in Owerri

Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State has approved a new increased salary adjustment for all categories of workers in the state’s civil service, with the minimum wage for government workers now N104,000.
Uzodimma announced the development on Tuesday in Owerri.
In the new salary structure, announced during the governor’s meeting with organised labour, the entry point for medical doctors is now N508,000 and the ending point N1.2 million. Other health workers’ entry point pay is now N108,000, while the ending point will be N803,000, as against N77,600 and ending point of N502,000 previously.
The new salary scale in the tertiary institution has changed from the previous entry point of N119,000 that terminates at N436,000 to N222,000 terminating at N812,000.
The same raise also applies to teachers whose previous entry point was N76,000, terminating at N275,000. The new point is N104,000 and N441,000 as end point.
Uzodimma also announced that N16 billion had been earmarked for the continuation of payment of gratuity to retirees, spanning 20 years back, which was left unpaid by previous administrations.
He said the payment of the second tranche of gratuity to all verified pensioners should take effect beginning Wednesday, August 27, and with it, the issue of unpaid gratuity in Imo State would have been brought to an end.
At the meeting, the governor highlighted the government’s commitment to building a friendly and cordial relationship with the workforce of Imo State, pensioners, and the generality of Imo people.
He said, “We tried as a government to always put it at the back of our mind that there is no how any government will do well if it doesn’t have a friendly and cordial relationship with the organised labour; knowing that we have always addressed the labour force as the engine room of government.”
He maintained his administration’s belief in carrying the bureaucrats along, ensuring that dignity and welfare of workers are restored and promoted.
While acknowledging the economic hardship faced by Nigerians, including increased cost of living following the removal of fuel subsidy, Uzodimma stated that the state had made significant progress in economic development arising from increased Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), from less than N400 million in 2020, to over N3 billion currently, and substantial rise in the federal allocation, from N5 billion to N7.5 billion in 2020, to over N13 billion currently.
Other achievements of his administration, he said, included significant reduction in the state’s debt profile, from N280 billion to less than N100 billion currently, demonstrating effective debt management, as well as heavy investment in critical infrastructure, health care delivery system and youth empowerment.
He said through frugal management of the state’s resources, the government had not borrowed any money to finance any project.
The governor challenged Imo workers to uphold the dignity of labour, warning that government will not condone indolence and unethical practice.
Uzodimma stressed, “If government is paying you, you must work for government. So, we expect the service to come with dignity that is not common. So, we that are making the sacrifice will also have reason to beat our chest to say that at least we did the will of God.”
To sustain the tempo of cordiality between government and labour, and encourage the government to live up to its expectations, the governor said going forward, workers in Imo State will be required to “clock-in and clock-out” on a daily basis. He said the era of short-changing government had come to an end.
He warned, “Don’t think after making the sacrifices to pay you well government will allow workers to come to office in the name of resumption only to sign their signature and disappear to Eke Onunwa.
“We are introducing the clock-in and clock-out card and the time you resume and close will be determined by the process and if at the end of the month the record shows you worked for three hours, that is what you will be paid for. Therefore, I urge the workers to take their responsibility to government seriously.”
The governor urged the workers to take advantage of the new salary structure to correct issues arising from their next of kin in their data with the government so as to avoid controversy in the event of the inevitable called death.
Uzodimma also said the government had introduced a new process of identifying pensioners in Imo State, called “I am Alive”, and urged all retirees to pass through audit process in their interest.
In their remarks, the Commissioner for Labour, Employment and Productivity, Professor Boniface Nworgu, and Secretary to the Government of Imo State, Chief Cosmas Iwu, pointed out that the governor’s gesture had made the workers’ jobs much easier, hence it should and put an end to struggle and agitations by organised labour.
Responding, Chairman Imo State Chapter of NLC, Comrade Uchechigaemezu Nwigwe, thanked the governor for always being a friend of the workers.
Nwigwe assured the governor that labour will personally be involved in monitoring the attitude of workers to work. He pledged the readiness of the labour leadership to partner with the government in the interest of a better Imo State.
His colleagues from Trade Union Congress (TUC), Comrade Uchenna Ibe, and Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Dr. B.U. Echeta, also lauded Uzodimma for the timely intervention in the welfare of workers. They sought more collaboration.
“You have disarmed us,” the NMA president, who hinted that they were planning an industrial action before the governor’s announcement, stated.
In his remarks, Chairman of Nigerian Union of Pensioners (NUP), Imo State Chapter, Comrade JB. Ugochukwu, said the governor had, through the payment of gratuity, sustained lives and made millionaires out of the retirees. Ugochukwu prayed God to grant the governor long live.
The union leaders pledged the loyalty and support of workers and pensioners.
Present at the meeting were Deputy Governor, Lady Chinyere Ekomaru, Speaker Imo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Chike Olemgbe, his deputy, Rt. Hon. Amara Iwuanyanwu, and some of their other members, commissioners and members of Expanded Executive Council, as well as local government areas leadership.

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