Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State has officially begun the payment of the newly approved N85,000 minimum wage to state workers, fulfilling a promise he made earlier this year.
The payment, which commenced with November salaries, has been widely welcomed by civil servants in the state.
This wage increase comes in response to President Bola Tinubu’s approval of a N70,000 national minimum wage in July, with Fubara pledging a higher wage for Rivers workers, citing the state’s strong Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) as a sustainable source for the increase.
Rivers State’s IGR has significantly improved under Fubara’s administration, growing from between N12 billion and N13 billion in the previous government to N27 billion, which has enabled the state to fund development projects without resorting to external borrowing.
In an interview with Tribune Online, Chukwuma Osunna, the Chairman of the Nigeria Civil Service Union, Rivers State Chapter, confirmed the payment. He said, “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.”
Osunna also explained, “We met under the joint council, sat with the Head of Service, reviewed the salary chart, and confirmed that the N85,000 was properly calculated and implemented in the November salary of workers. The payment started today, and by tomorrow, other banks will also begin to process the payments.”
Rivers State workers have expressed their gratitude, noting that the wage increase will significantly boost their morale and enhance their productivity.
