Labour unions in Abia State have urged Governor Alex Otti to extend the N70,000 minimum wage to specific groups of workers across various sectors.
The plea was made during the 2025 Workers’ Day celebration held on Thursday in Umuahia, with representatives from the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) jointly presenting the appeal.
Ogbonnaya Okoro, the NLC State Chairman, delivered a unified address on behalf of himself and the TUC State Chairman, Ihechi Enogwe.
He emphasized that environmental health personnel, ministry health workers, and staff of the Abia State University Teaching Hospital, Aba, are among those yet to benefit from the wage increase.
Also included in the call for implementation are veterinary staff within the Ministry of Agriculture and at the local government level, employees of the Ministry of Social and Women Affairs, and personnel under the Secondary Education Management Board.
Okoro stressed that without the proper execution of the new wage policy for these categories, the unions could not ensure continued industrial harmony in the affected sectors.
Despite the concerns, he lauded Governor Otti for his efforts in negotiating and applying the new wage structure for general state and local government workers.
He also praised the governor’s achievements in infrastructure, education, and agricultural development since taking office.
In addition, the labour leaders reminded the government of outstanding arrears from the wage adjustment and commended the launch of the contributory pension scheme.
They called on the state to fulfil its share of the pension contributions and highlighted the burden of excessive taxation on workers’ salaries, appealing for immediate intervention.
In response, Governor Otti acknowledged the workers’ demands and promised to thoroughly review their concerns.
He reiterated his administration’s commitment to workers’ welfare and assured consistent salary payments, typically made before the 28th of each month.
Otti revealed that his government had cleared over N30 billion in outstanding wages inherited from the previous administration and pledged to maintain an ongoing dialogue with labour unions in pursuit of a reformed and prosperous Abia.
