The Anambra State Chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has firmly clarified that Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo is not to blame for the delay in the payment of October salaries to workers.
Reports indicate that contrary to circulating social media allegations regarding the governor’s refusal to implement the new minimum wage scheme, the NLC stated unequivocally that Soludo is the first governor in Anambra State’s history to fully implement the minimum wage. This will be evident when workers begin receiving their alerts in the first week of November.
Comrade Humphrey Nwafor, the NLC state chairman, addressed journalists following a prayer rally held by workers at the Teachers’ House Complex in Awka over the weekend. He emphasized the importance of keeping workers informed about the implementation of the minimum wage and the reasons behind the slight delay in salary payments.
Nwafor explained that workers typically receive their salaries on the 25th of each month; however, due to the new minimum wage implementation, there were some discrepancies that were brought to the government’s attention. He assured that the governor has approved measures to address these issues.
Initially, during the meeting at the Teachers’ House, some attendees sought to place blame on the governor due to a lack of information. However, they ultimately came to understand that he was not responsible for the allegations leveled against him.
He acknowledged that rumors have circulated claiming the governor was unwilling to pay the minimum wage, which purportedly caused the salary delays. Nwafor clarified that the actual reason for the delay stemmed from errors detected in the payment schedule, and these issues have been approved for resolution by the governor.
Nwafor noted that labor leaders faced accusations of compromise, with claims that they accepted money from the government, leading some to believe they were advocating for an inconsequential payment.
He reaffirmed that the current state government will pay a net salary of N70,000 to workers at Grade Level One, Step One and above. He added that once the minimum wage issues are resolved, a salary review will follow, as requested by Anambra State workers.
Highlighting Governor Soludo’s background, Nwafor remarked that he has served as a public servant, having risen to the position of a professor before his tenure as the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor.
Nwafor reminded workers that Soludo is a retired pensioner and a member of the Nigerian Union of Pensioners (NUP), an affiliate of the NLC, urging them to support the governor in his efforts to address their welfare.
Olusola Akintonde
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