UYO
By Uduak Akai
Public servants in Akwa Ibom State employ are already wearing faces of excitement as the new wage of salary payments kick-starts in the state from January ending.
This followed the signing of the report of Verification Exercise and the N80,000.00 New Minimum Wage Implementation Committee by Governor Umo Eno Monday, January 20, 2025, which gives approval for the payment of the new wage with arrears effective from November 2024.
The head of Civil Service, Akwa Ibom State, Elder Effiong Essien, stated this while fielding questions from journalists in his office on the issues bordering on submission and signing of workers’ verification and minimum wage negotiation reports.
Essien said the governor while signing the reports gave directive for immediate payment of the new minimum wage to the 45,084 public servants that have been verified, with a 30-day window that gives opportunity to those who did not turn up for the verification exercise before the submission of the report.
He said, “We also had about 6,000 of them (workers) that came out for the verification, but did not meet the minimum requirements for the verification process by reasons of irregularities ranging from issues of bank details, face mismatch and things like that.”
According to him, the committee had up to 2,924 public servants who did not turn up for the verification exercise, saying, “The state governor has extended the verification period by 30 days from when the report was submitted.
“The governor said that, “30 days from Monday, January 20, 2025, we should close that window and ensure that anybody who does not come up for the verification by the end of one month should be counted as not being a staff of Akwa Ibom State Public Service.”
He noted that plans were also underway for the commencement of another verification exercise for retirees, adding that “whenever government implements new minimum wage for the serving workers, there is always the need to also increase and harmonize pension for retirees.”
The head of civil service also noted that government has increased pension for those who retired before 2007 by N20,000, 00 and also increased for those who retired between 2007 and 2012 by N15,000, 00, as well as approving pension increase for retired permanent secretaries who retired before 2007.
He advised indigenes of the state, especially those with interest to join the State Civil Service, to register in the state’s employment portal via the link https://www.employment.akwaibomstate.gov.ng as recruitment would be done through the portal.
Essien announced Governor Umo Eno’s approval for the recruitment of 600 health workers that would target 400 primary health staff and 200 secondary health workers, as well as 100 occupational safety workers.
He appreciated Eno for all that he has done for civil servants in the state, describing him as a man filled with the spirit of compassion, friendliness and accommodation.
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