…Orders Clearance of N16bn Gratuity Arrears
Workers in Imo State erupted in celebration on Tuesday night as Governor Hope Uzodimma raised the state’s minimum wage from the nationally approved N70,000 to N104,000 monthly.
Health workers also recorded significant gains, with the entry-level salary for medical doctors now pegged at N508,000 monthly, while other health workers will start at N108,000.
The announcement, made during a meeting with organised labour at Government House, Owerri, was greeted with choruses of praise from jubilant workers, calling on God to bless the governor.
Aged pensioners, led by their Chairman, Dr J.B. Ugochukwu, joined in the celebration after Governor Uzodimma ordered the immediate release of N16 billion to clear outstanding gratuity arrears across the state.
Many of the pensioners have already benefited from previous gratuity payments alongside regular pension disbursements.
In announcing the pay rise, Governor Uzodimma stated that the new wage reflects his administration’s commitment to a cordial and productive relationship with the state’s workforce and pensioners.
“We have always recognised that no government can succeed without a friendly and cordial relationship with organised labour, which we rightly describe as the engine room of government,” the governor noted.
He added that his administration has prioritised the welfare and dignity of Imo workers by ensuring that bureaucrats are carried along in governance.
Acknowledging the current economic challenges faced by Nigerians following fuel subsidy removal, Governor Uzodimma cited improved state finances, with Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) rising from less than N400 million in 2020 to nearly N4 billion today. Federal allocation, he said, also grew from N7.5 billion in 2020 to over N13 billion.
He attributed the improved figures to the economic reforms of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which he said are already yielding tangible benefits.
The governor also highlighted a significant drop in Imo State’s debt profile, from N280 billion to under N100 billion, alongside massive investments in infrastructure, healthcare, and youth empowerment.
Governor Uzodimma announced that under the revised salary structure, the entry-level salary for medical doctors has been set at N508,000, while senior positions in the same cadre will earn up to N1.2 million. Similarly, other health workers will start at N108,000, with top earners receiving as much as N803,000, up from the previous N77,600–N502,000 range.
Other civil service positions also received significant increases according to their respective salary structures.
The governor, however, issued a challenge to workers:
“If the government is paying you, then you must work for the government. We expect a level of dignity and commitment in your service that is uncommon. Those of us making sacrifices must also have reasons to say we did the will of God,” Uzodimma declared.
Commissioner for Labour, Employment, and Productivity, Prof. Boniface Nwogu, lauded the governor’s gesture, saying it has resolved all pending agitation and struggle by organised labour.
Labour leaders could not contain their excitement, bursting into solidarity songs in appreciation of the gesture.
In their responses, Imo State NLC Chairman, Comrade Uche Chigaemzu, and leaders of sister unions – TUC, NUP, and NMA – thanked Governor Uzodimma for his magnanimity and pledged the continued loyalty and support of workers and pensioners in the state.
The event was attended by Deputy Governor Lady Chinyere Ekomaru, Speaker of the Imo State House of Assembly Rt. Hon. Chike Olemgbe, the Deputy Speaker, other lawmakers, commissioners, members of the Expanded Executive Council, and Local Government Council leadership.
