Hope Uzodimma, the Governor of Imo State has boasted that he will be one of the first governors to implement the new minimum wage anytime the tripartite committee and the federal government agree on the issue.

He stated this on Wednesday.

Uzodimma stated this while addressing workers on this year’s workers’ day celebration at Rear Admiral Ndubuisi Kalu Square in Owerri.

According the governor, “I thank the workers for the support they have extended to my administration since 2020 when i assumed office leading to industrial harmony in the State and more importantly, for supporting my reelection that made me record a resounding victory in all the 27 local government areas in Imo State. I promise not to take this support for granted hence my administration will continue to place the welfare and interest of the people above every other consideration.”

The Governor listed some of his welfare packages to Imo workers to include: implementation of N30,000 minimum wage, prompt payment of salaries, free transportation to and fro work, free health insurance scheme with complete payment of premium, palliative measures to cushion the effect of fuel subsidy removal, adjustment of the salary to N40,000 for the lower cadre of workers, among others.

The Governor recalled that his government was among the first to domesticate the increase of Service period of teachers from 60 to 65 years of age and 35 to 40 years of Service, commencement of payment of gratuities to retired workers, not forgetting the comprehensive renovation of the State Secretariat, to name but a few. He said his government set out to implement all the above programmes without being prompted by workers and that because they appreciated them they did not see the need for industrial action in the State.

He was not happy that “some workers connive with corrupt and fraudulent persons to undermine the government by way of stealing of government property like land, raising fake invoices and using same to steal government money and in most cases, setting up private businesses that divert their attention away from serving the government fully and sincerely. It was the mess I discovered in the ministry of land, for instance, that compelled me to cede the ministry for now to my own office as a way of restoring the needed sanity and trust.”

However, he said: “The workers and the State Government and the national leadership of the NLC are on the same page as regards what is best for them contrary to earlier insinuations. Be that as it may, I promise that my government will be among the first to implement the new minimum wage after being properly guided by the federal government anytime the tripartite committee and the federal government agree on the issue.”

Earlier in his address, the Chairman, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Imo State Chapter, Comrade Uche Chigemezu Nwigwe, while thanking the governor for being sensitive to their plights, he said: “Some pressing needs of Imo workers, such as, the immediate implementation of the financial effect of the arrears of promotion already approved by him for Imo workers, for which the workers now have their Gen-35.

Other demands include: implementation of consequential adjustment of salary on the approved N30,000 minimum wage for workers from grade levels 08 to 17, appeal to add additional buses to the existing fleet of free buses for Imo workers, request that the State should be among the first to implement the new national minimum wage, when finally approved, among others