Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom has validated a new minimum wage package of N80,000 for workers in the employment of the state government.
Eno has joined other states including Lagos, Edo, Rivers among others who had taken steps to pay their employees the new minimum wage.
Investors King had reported that the Federal Government and the Nigeria Labour Union had signed a Memorandum of Understanding for N70,000 as least amount to be earned by Nigerian workers, especially those employed by civil authorities.
Some other states including Osun, Oyo, Zamfara among others have not announced the amounts they would be paying their workers.
Making the approval of the N80,000 minimum wage known on Wednesday, Governor Eno also constituted an implementation committee for the smooth kick-off of the new wage regime with the Head of the Civil Service (HoCS), Elder Effiong Essien, as Chairman.
According to the governor, the committee has one month ultimatum to deliver its report on the wage increase harmonisation.
The Commissioner for Information of Akwa Ibom, Comrade Ini Ememobong, while addressing newsmen, listed other members of the committee to include the Chairman, Local Government Service Commission (LGSC) and Permanent Secretaries in the Ministries of Finance and Department of Establishments.
Others are the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Manpower Planning; Permanent Secretary/Solicitor General, Ministry of Justice; Permanent Secretary/Accountant General; Permanent Secretary, Local Government Service Commission (LGSC); Permanent Secretary, Office of the Head of Civil Service; Director of Budget and the State Chairman, Joint Public Service Negotiating Council.
The list also has the Secretary, Joint Public Sector Negotiating Council; State Chairperson, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC); State Chairman, Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the State President, Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) as members.