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State clears over ₦100bn of inherited ₦111bn gratuity liabilities.
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₦80,000 minimum wage, 13th-month salary and pension adjustments among welfare measures.
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NUJ Chairman demands sanctions against companies selling employment slots and calls for journalists’ inclusion in project inspections.
October 13, (THEWILL) – The Akwa Ibom State Government says it has paid more than ₦100 billion out of the ₦111 billion gratuity liabilities inherited by Governor Umo Eno’s administration, while the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has called for the criminalisation of the sale of employment slots to non-indigenes by companies operating in the state.
The disclosures were made on Tuesday during the ninth ministerial press briefing organised by the Ministry of Information at Government House, Uyo, where the government presented its record on workers’ welfare, industrial relations, civic education and peaceful political participation.
The Commissioner for Labour and Manpower Planning, Hon. Ikoedem Ekong, said the government had also implemented an ₦80,000 minimum wage, introduced a 13th-month salary known as “Eno-mber” and settled outstanding 7.5 percent contributory pension deductions for affected workers.
Ekong said the administration had prioritised dialogue and mediation in resolving industrial disputes, including those involving the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Akwa Ibom State, the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria, the National Union of Agriculture and Allied Employees, and transport-sector unions.
He disclosed that the ministry facilitated the payment of ₦150 million in gratuities and entitlements to former workers of Akwa Palm Limited, which had been shut for more than seven years.
The commissioner added that workers of St. Gabriel Coconut Company, Mkpat Enin Local Government Area, received ₦180 million in six months’ salary arrears, with Governor Eno subsequently approving an additional two months’ arrears beyond their initial request.
Other welfare measures, according to him, include health insurance for public servants, leave grants for civil servants in 2026, teachers’ wardrobe allowances, training and retraining programmes, and the provision of modern working tools.
He said eligible retirees who left service between 2007 and 2011 now receive ₦20,000 monthly, up from ₦15,000, while those who retired before November 1, 2024, receive ₦27,000 monthly.
The commissioner added that airport workers had been integrated into the state civil service without losing their existing salary structure, while promotions had commenced.
On salary adjustments, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Labour Matters, Rt. Hon. Udo Kieran, said workers in the education and health sectors had benefited from approved increases, including a 40 per cent salary increase for doctors and 30 per cent for other medical personnel.
He also disclosed that the government had resolved a 12-year dispute over the Domestic Servants Allowance, extending the allowance to university workers and teachers in line with comparable public institutions at ₦400 monthly per beneficiary.
According to him, approved adjustments also included 30 percent for professors, 25 percent for academic staff and chief lecturers at the Akwa Ibom State College of Education and Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic, and 20 percent for non-academic staff and other eligible categories.
The commissioner further said the ministry, in collaboration with the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress, supported International Workers’ Day celebrations by approving ₦1.5 million each for about 70 unions in 2025 and ₦2 million each for more than 80 unions in 2026.
He added that 310 indigenes, comprising 10 persons from each of the state’s 31 local government areas, received annual skills training through collaboration with the Dakkada Skills Acquisition Centre.
Meanwhile, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Political and Social Reorientation, Barr. Kufre Udosen, said the Bureau of Political and Social Reorientation had extended grassroots enlightenment campaigns to all 31 local government areas to promote civic awareness, peaceful coexistence and informed political participation.
Udosen said the bureau used radio programmes, jingles, billboards, newspaper publications and community engagements to discourage misinformation, hate speech, political violence and thuggery.
He attributed the peaceful conduct of the 2025 party primaries in the state partly to sustained public enlightenment, describing the exercise as one of the most peaceful in Akwa Ibom’s history.
The bureau, he said, had also sensitised residents on Permanent Voter Card collection, National Identification Number registration and other civic responsibilities, while working with community leaders, religious institutions, civil society organisations and relevant government agencies.
The Political Adviser to the Governor, Prince Godwin Ntukudeh, said the administration had strengthened grassroots mobilisation and public feedback through engagements across about 22 local government areas.
He explained that an information and communications technology-based registration system had been introduced to identify political support groups individually, improve coordination and promote transparency in their activities.
The Commissioner for Information, Rt. Hon. Aniekan Umanah, said the ministerial briefings were designed to enable ministries, departments and agencies to account for their stewardship, explain government policies and inform residents about ongoing programmes under the ARISE Agenda.
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He stressed that manpower development, political stability, social harmony and inclusive governance remained important components of the administration’s development priorities.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the NUJ, Akwa Ibom State Council, Comrade Nsibiet John, called for the criminalisation of the sale of employment slots to non-indigenes by companies operating in the state, arguing that the practice should be addressed to protect qualified indigenous applicants and curb corruption.
John also advocated the inclusion of information officers and journalists in project inspections and official assignments to enable them to obtain firsthand information, improve the accuracy of reports and strengthen public accountability.
Speaking on the need to protect employment opportunities and improve transparency, the NUJ chairman said: “The sale of employment slots by companies operating in Akwa Ibom State should be criminalised to protect qualified indigenes and curb corruption. Journalists and information officers should also be carried along during project inspections so they can report accurately on government activities and promote accountability.”
The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Ekerette Udoh, thanked journalists for their participation and urged them to sustain their engagement with the government in informing the public about the state’s development programmes.
The briefing was attended by permanent secretaries, directors of the relevant ministries and agencies, political aides, heads of broadcast stations, chapel chairmen and other journalists.
