Eno Withdraws from Minimum Wage Agreement with Labour

More than a week after reaching a deal with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to start paying the new minimum wage in December, Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State abruptly backed out.

The governor established a new minimum salary of N80,000 for state employees, which is N10,000 more than the federal government-approved national rate of N70,000.
In contrast to Siminalayi Fubara, his counterpart from Rivers State, who authorized N85,000 as the new minimum salary and started paying in November, with October arrears to follow, Mr. Eno maintained that personnel verification is a prerequisite for the new minimum wage’s implementation.

He cited “Japa Syndrome”, a term used to describe the exodus of Nigerians for a better life abroad, as reason for his action. He had instead offered to pay 13th month salary to workers, apparently as a compensation.

Mr Eno, however, bowed to pressure from labour in the state over a week ago and signed an agreement with labour to commence payment in December with November arrears to come within the first quarter of next year.

Speaking at the State Christmas Carols in Uyo on Friday evening, Mr Eno backed out, insisting on completion of staff verification as a condition for commencement of payment, a move that may lead to a showdown with labour.

He, however, acknowledged the agreement but said he cannot be coerced into implementing it.

“We had a meeting with labour and at that meeting – tense meeting. We had made some agreements. They wanted the new minimum wage to start in November and I said to them that’s fine but we need to do verification. If they give me the verification today we will start paying in November.

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“So we agreed. That is the agreement – agreement is agreement but tonight as your governor, we will pay the 13th month we have already calculated,” he said as the crowd went into a frenzy but their joy was only momentarily.
“I can see you’re happy. We are paying on the old structure,” the crowd went mute, apparently uncomfortable with the decision of the governor.

“But I also told them it is a give and take. If we start from November then the 13th month I had announced to cushion the effect will not hold.

“Because we would not start paying the new structure even though it starts from November we would not start paying until we finished (staff) verification,” he said, reneging on the agreement he signed with Labour in the state.

“Nobody will force me to do that. I must know the number of workers that are in the civil service in the state. And so Labour gives that to me tonight we start paying tomorrow.

“So don’t let anybody confuse you if they tell you to come and block Government House. Block it, work will still go on. You must understand that we must do the right thing,” he said.

He cautioned the Labour leaders, claiming to be on the verification committee, against postponing the exercise.

Sunny James, the state’s NLC chairperson, stated in an interview following the agreement’s signing that the advantages of enacting the new minimum wage greatly exceed the 13th month’s pay.

Mr. James emphasized that the governor has the authority to deal with the 13-month salary issue. “And from the consideration of NLC, it is very clear that 13 months’ salary for all junior staff does not meet N20,000, which you know is only basic (salary), and then the new minimum wage is not less than N55,000 for any junior staff, so we need our minimum wage,” he said.

Speaking on Saturday, Mr. James stated that labor and the governor had reached an arrangement whereby the new minimum wage will be paid starting this month, in December.

That is how the deal is written. I get that, but for people in Akwa Ibom, there has been a very real cold war between the State Government and labor since that day.

In response to the governor’s comments from last night, Mr. James informed this publication that labor will convene and determine the next course of action.