Ebonyi Raises Minimum Wage to N90,000, Approves Tenure Policy for Directors

The Ebonyi State Government has announced an increase in the minimum wage of civil servants from N70,000 to N90,000, with immediate implementation across all categories of the workforce.

The state Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Chief Ikeuwa Omebe, disclosed this on Thursday while briefing journalists on the outcome of the State Executive Council (EXCO) meeting in Abakaliki.

Omebe said the increment was aimed at enhancing workers’ welfare, stressing that the decision was not politically motivated.

“We want to state categorically that this is not a political statement as this government does not toy with workers’ welfare,” he said.

The commissioner further revealed that the government had cleared pension arrears and gratuities of retirees dating back to the state’s creation in 1996. He added that a verification exercise was ongoing for local government retirees, after which payments would commence.

“If the government did not play politics with such huge financial obligations, it will not do so with an additional N20,000 to workers,” Omebe added.

According to him, Governor Francis Nwifuru remains committed to the “People’s Charter of Needs” mantra, which prioritises the welfare of citizens and infrastructural development.

Meanwhile, the EXCO also approved the implementation of the eight-year tenure policy for directors, which mandates the retirement of permanent secretaries and directors who have served in the same cadre for the stipulated period.

“The EXCO exhaustively deliberated on the issue and approved its implementation for the affected permanent secretaries and directors,” Omebe said.