Exit Of An Icon: A Tribute To Chief Ezeogo Uma Nchege Nwoke

By Jacob Okoye

The role and importance of a national minimum wage could never be over-emphasized in human capital development. History has shown that Anambra state is one of the most unwilling states when it comes to implementation of minimum wage since 2011 and the state organized Labour has always fallen short of expectation in the discharge of its duties.

Though Anambra boasts of its people in academic excellence, business, industrialization and now an oil producing state, the condition of state workers is quite pitiable especially in the state civil service where promotions are delayed for several years, allowances are so meagre, pensions could be as low as 3 million naira for some cadres in grade level 8 (because of poor basic salary), absence of housing units and subsidized transport system, etc. Despite these worrisome conditions, successive state governments have always decided what to pay workers as minimum wage with little or no contribution from the organized labour. The records are there.

With the passage of 70,000 Naira new national minimum wage into law, Anambra state government has yet to make any statement other than governor Soludo's disapprovals of 60,000 Naira minimum wage recommendation of the tripartite committee and his open disagreement to workers deserving such amount as minimum wage. He had recruited 5,000 teachers in 2023 and approved additional 3,115 amidst the raging minimum wage negotiations at the national level. His words and actions aren't difficult to understand unlike some other governors. Today, Anambra state workers are worried if the organized labour will yield to the Soludo government like it failed with Willie Obiano and Peter Obi.

Recently, the state organized labour came to agree with the revered governor that the state complied with the 30,000 Naira minimum wage law via workers take-home pay instead of basic salary. This narrative is largely responsible for the present predicament of state workers who consider themselves stagnant, stuck in lifetimes before. If that narrative were true, then there would be no need to compel the government to abide by the agreement it signed with labour in 2019 regarding the 30,000 Naira minimum wage implementation and this would automatically rubbish the idea of basic salary which is used in promotions, appointments, pensions and other deductions. It was never about compliance but implementation.

Had Anambra state government implemented the 18,000 and 30,000 Naira minimum wage since 2011, a new intake in level 8 should be earning nothing below 60,000 naira today as basic salary. If the new 70,000 Naira minimum wage is implemented, his pay would have increased significantly. Yet, a level 8 officer could hardly feed self with the current take home pay, talk more of carrying out his duties effectively.

Anambra state has never been incapable of paying any of the minimum wages it failed to implement over the years. Everyone can attest to the capacity of successive governments since 2011. If it was all about internally generated revenue, Mr. Peter Obi would never have saved billions, Willie Obiano would never have run very high cost of governance and Prof. C.C. Soludo would never have embarked on all the programs, infrastructural developments and recruitment exercises he had done in just two years. So why must workers be under the mines in chains?

Charity they say begins at home. May His Excellency, the Governor of Anambra state, Prof. C.C. Soludo understand that it is about setting a standard for workers in the state rather than sentiments about what they do. May God bless him and give him the wisdom to do right to humanity. Workers are humans too with youthful population. Anambra organized labour (NLC/TUC) it is up to you NOW! It is well with our state workers in the Service.

The role and importance of a national minimum wage could never be over-emphasized in human capital development. History has shown that Anambra state is one of the most unwilling states when it comes to implementation of minimum wage since 2011 and the state organized Labour has always fallen short of expectation in the discharge of its duties.

Though Anambra boasts of its people in academic excellence, business, industrialization and now an oil producing state, the condition of state workers is quite pitiable especially in the state civil service where promotions are delayed for several years, allowances are so meagre, pensions could be as low as 3 million naira for some cadres in grade level 8 (because of poor basic salary), absence of housing units and subsidized transport system, etc. Despite these worrisome conditions, successive state governments have always decided what to pay workers as minimum wage with little or no contribution from the organized labour. The records are there.

With the passage of 70,000 Naira new national minimum wage into law, Anambra state government has yet to make any statement other than governor Soludo's disapprovals of 60,000 Naira minimum wage recommendation of the tripartite committee and his open disagreement to workers deserving such amount as minimum wage. He had recruited 5,000 teachers in 2023 and approved additional 3,115 amidst the raging minimum wage negotiations at the national level. His words and actions aren't difficult to understand unlike some other governors. Today, Anambra state workers are worried if the organized labour will yield to the Soludo government like it failed with Willie Obiano and Peter Obi.

Recently, the state organized labour came to agree with the revered governor that the state complied with the 30,000 Naira minimum wage law via workers take-home pay instead of basic salary. This narrative is largely responsible for the present predicament of state workers who consider themselves stagnant, stuck in lifetimes before. If that narrative were true, then there would be no need to compel the government to abide by the agreement it signed with labour in 2019 regarding the 30,000 Naira minimum wage implementation and this would automatically rubbish the idea of basic salary which is used in promotions, appointments, pensions and other deductions. It was never about compliance but implementation.

Had Anambra state government implemented the 18,000 and 30,000 Naira minimum wages since 2011, a new intake in level 8 should be earning nothing below 60,000 naira today as basic salary. If the new 70,000 Naira minimum wage is implemented, his pay would have increased significantly. Yet, a level 8 officer could hardly feed self with the current take home pay, talk more of carrying out his duties effectively.

Anambra state has never been incapable of paying any of the minimum wages it failed to implement over the years. Everyone can attest to the capacity of successive governments since 2011. If it was all about internally generated revenue, Mr. Peter Obi would never have saved billions, Willie Obiano would never have run very high cost of governance and Prof. C.C. Soludo would never have embarked on all the programs, infrastructural developments and recruitment exercises he had done in just two years. So why must workers be under the mines in chains?

Charity they say begins at home. May His Excellency, the Governor of Anambra state, Prof. C.C. Soludo understand that it is about setting a standard for workers in the state rather than sentiments about what they do. May God bless him and give him the wisdom to do right to humanity. Workers are humans too with youthful population. Anambra organized labour (NLC/TUC) it is up to you NOW! It is well with our state workers in the Service.

 

Jacob Okoye, for Concerned Civil Servants, is a human rights activist, writes from, Awka, Anambra State.