Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara has approved the payment of N85,000.00 as the new minimum wage for civil servants employed by the Rivers State Government.
This agreement was reached during a closed-door meeting presided over by the Governor, attended by representatives of organised labour under the auspices of the Joint Public Service Negotiating Council in the state at Government House in Port Harcourt on Friday.
This information was contained in a statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the Rivers State Governor, Nelson Chukwudi, and sent to the press.
Briefing journalists after the meeting, the Head of Rivers State Civil Service, Dr George Nwaeke, who spoke on behalf of the government, said that Governor Fubara has graciously approved a new minimum wage of N85,000.00, adding that the implementation will begin in November 2024.
Nwaeke stated: “He (Fubara) has announced a figure that is higher than the National Minimum Wage. He has set a sum of N85,000.00, which is above the minimum wage prescribed nationally.
“As the Head of Service and a major stakeholder in the labour family, I am very pleased to say that Rivers State civil servants have never had it this good since the inception of this state.
“The labour union leaders and all the other major stakeholders were pleased with this development,” he added.
Responding to inquiries about the possible payment of arrears, Nwaeke said it is yet to be determined, as a technical committee has been established to critically develop a feasible payment chart that will address issues of arrears.
He clarified, “Issues of arrears will be worked out by the committee, of which I will be Deputy to the SSG. We are already preparing to work on it in a technical committee that will examine the specifics of the payment and inform the press later.”
On his part, the Rivers State Chairman of the Joint Public Service Negotiating Council, Emecheta Chuku, explained that this is their first meeting with Governor Fubara to discuss the issue of the new minimum wage as approved by the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Comrade Chuku highlighted that the gracious approval of the N85,000.00 new minimum wage is very appealing to the labour leaders, adding that it demonstrates care for the workers.
He explained, “For the governor to come, despite all the crises and challenges he is facing, and to declare that he will pay N85,000.00 as the minimum wage, fills our hearts with joy.
“Of course, we have no doubt, knowing the kind of person we have as our governor. He is a decent man, very responsible, and has risen through the ranks of the system. He understands what it takes to earn a living salary; he comprehends the difference between gifting money and paying someone a salary that can sustain them from the first day to the last day of the month.”
Also speaking, the Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Rivers State Chapter, Alex Agwanwor, noted that the amount approved by Governor Fubara places the Rivers State Government ahead of Lagos State as the highest minimum wage-paying state for civil servants in Nigeria.
Agwanwor stressed, “Why do I say that? Lagos State has set N85,000.00, and Rivers State is now paying N85,000.00. The IGRs of Lagos State and Rivers State are not the same. So, for the Governor to agree to pay the same rate as Lagos, it means we are at the top.
“We are the best, and we want to continue commending the governor. We assure him that, as far as this state is concerned, labour will stand with him. We will support him for the next eight years.
“I want to commend His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Rivers State, our Number One Worker in Rivers State; he has, once again, proven that the workers in Rivers State awarded him on May Day as the Champion of Labour, the Most Labour-Friendly Governor in Nigeria. He has shown that to us once again today, and I want to commend him.”
He added that they were returning to the State Secretariat Complex to inform workers of the governor’s generosity and benevolence towards civil servants in the state.