Cross River governor, Bassey Otu has announced a new minimum wage of N40,000 and reiterated his administration’s commitment to begin recruitment of grade 3 to 9 into the state civil service.
Governor Otu made the remark on Wednesday, on the occasion of Workers’ Day 2024.
Otu expressed delight that the theme for this year’s workers’ day is “People’s First” which interestingly coincides with his administration mandate.
He noted that the implementation of a new minimum wage is more in line with the reality of the times than with sentiment, given the peculiarities of the state, where the statutory federal allocation is low and the state’s fiscal situation is strained due to debt servicing ratio.
“On this note, I wish to announce that the least paid worker in the Cross River State Civil Service will henceforth earn the sum of forty thousand naira (N40,000), modalities are ongoing for immediate implementation.
On employment into the state civil service, he mentioned that the state government is conscious of the need to employ the teeming qualified youths into service to bridge the manpower gap.
“I, therefore, directed the office of the Head of Service to collaborate with the Ministry of Establishment, Training and Pension to expedite action in determining the actual manpower gap to enable the state government to commence employment from grade level 3 to 9 into the civil service.
“Also I have immediately directed the State Civil Service Commission to conduct promotion interviews to upgrade all workers in the state up to 2022, this will catalyze hard work. The state government is on the verge of completing payments of outstanding gratuity, I therefore sue for little patience from the pensioners in this regard.
However, the governor frowned at the productivity of the state’s civil service, which he said was little over 5%, and asked all workers to reciprocate the government’s kind gesture by doubling their efforts in accomplishing the tasks assigned to them.
Labour leaders in the state, Comrade Gregory Olayi, the State Chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress NLC and the Chairman of Trade Union Congress, Comrade Monday Ogbodum, both made demands calling for the prompt attention to promotions of civil servants, payment of gratuity to retirees, recruitment to the state service.
