Abia govt set to pay N70k minimum wage to workers *Builds 127 roads

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Abia govt set to pay N70k minimum wage to workers

*Builds 127 roads

UPDATED: Otti approves N70k minimum wage for Abia workers, payment begins October

. To deliver 9 new roads

By Steve Oko

UMUAHIA – Gov. Alex Otti has approved the payment of N70,000 as minimum wage for Abia workers with effect from October end.

Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, who disclosed this during a press briefing on the outcome of this week’s Executive Council meeting in Umuahia, said it was in line with the Governor’s empathy for workers.

He said:”Payment of minimum wage will commence in the next few days. The Governor has given approval to that.”

He said: The State Government will commence the payment of the new minimum wage this month of October.

“The State Government is committed to paying that minimum wage because of its disposition towards the welfare of our workers. ”

Responding to a question on whether the State would pay above the minimum wage, Commissioner for Labour and Productivity, Comrade Sunny Onwuma, said the Governor would not pay below the N70,000 national benchmark.

Speaking further, Kanu disclosed that new nine roads projects across the three senatorial zones would soon be delivered.

The roads according to the Commissioner include the 5.5 kilometre Onuimo – Abia Tower Road; the 7.15 kilometre Onuinyang – (Bende) Okporoenyi – Oboro – Ikwuano road section one; and the 11 kilometer Onuinyang- kilometres Okporoenyi – Oboro – Ikwuano (Ikwuano) section two.

Others are the 11.5 Ntigha – Nbawsi – Umuala road (Isialangwa North) ; 11.1 kilometres Obehe – Umudiabia – Owaza road (Ukwa West) 11.27 kilometres; and the Mbala – Umuaku- Ngodo road in Umunneochi, 2.21 kilometres.

Included also are the Umuogo – Nsukwe -Ubakala Ring road Umuahia South; 12.6 kilometres Ohanze – Ntighauzo – Obete – Akirika Oburu (Obingwa and Ukwa East); and the 6.9km Umuopara Ring road , Umuahia South.

The Commissioner who also said that the dualisation of Owerrinta -Umuekaa road had commenced, disclosed that Gov. Alex Otti had so far delivered a total of 127 roads since he assumed office.

He further hinted that the United Nations Habitat had invited the Abia State Environmental Protection Agency, ASEPA; and the Greater Aba Development Authority, GADA, to its conference in Egypt to come and tell the Abia story in transiting from dirty to a clean state within a short distance.

The invitation, he explained, was in recognition of the laudable efforts of both agencies in cleaning up the state

“Government is happy that people outside the country are appreciative of what the Governor Alex Otti is doing in the state”, the Commissioner said.

He recalled that Gov. Otti had upon assumption of duty, declared state of emergency on sanitation, a development that had resulted into the clean environment being currently witnessed in the state.

Contributing, the General Manager, ASEPA, Mazi Ogbonnia Okereke said Abia under Otti, had become a clean state, promising to improve on the current achievements.

He said:”Aba has been identified today as a model of movement from a dirty city to something better . We are being asked to come and tell our stories first hand at a United Nations’ forum.

End

By Steve Oko

Gov. Alex Otti has approved the payment of N70,000 as minimum wage for Abia workers with effect from October end.