•Siminalayi Fubara
Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State has commenced payment of N85,000 new minimum wage to the state workers, fulfilling a promise he made earlier this year.
The payment, which began with November salaries, has been widely celebrated by civil servants in the state, reports Nigerian Tribune.
Recall that Fubara had announced the wage increase in response to President Bola Tinubu’s approval of a N70,000 national minimum wage in July, pledging a higher wage for Rivers workers, citing the state’s robust Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) as a sustainable source for the increase.
Under Fubara’s administration, Rivers State’s IGR has seen significant growth, rising from between 12 billion and N13 billion under the previous government to N27 billion, enabling the execution of developmental projects without external borrowing.
Chukwuma Osunna, Chairman of the Nigeria Civil Service Union, Rivers State Chapter, confirmed the payment in an interview.
“The governor has fulfilled his promise, as of today, November 27, 2024, I can confirm that he has paid the N85,000 new minimum wage to workers, and the workers are happy,” he said.
“We met under the joint council, sat with the Head of Service, saw the salary chart and confirmed that the N85,000 is well calculated and implemented in the November salary of workers, so, payment started today and by tomorrow, other banks will start to pay too”
Workers in the state expressed gratitude, noting that the wage increase would boost their morale and improve their productivity.
