Imo To Employ another N10,000, begins payment of Minimum wage of N18,000
Imo state government would employ another N10,000 workers who are non-garduates in the next two months, the Governor, Chief Ikedi Ohakim has revealed.
The governor who disclosed this during a labour Award of Excellence conferred on him by the organized labour in the state at Imo Concord hotel, Owerri recently, said the state government would also commence the payment of the N18,000 minimum wage to Imo civil servants, noting that by this approach, the state would be the first in the south-East to pay the new minimum wage.
He explained he was mindful of the fact that the current N10,000 jobs targeted at graduates would not be enough because there were tens of thousands of non-graduates comprising artisans, technicians, menial workers, amongst others who needed to be engaged to take care of some development projects initiated by his administration.
Chief Ohakim who revealed that these non-graduates were school drop-outs at various stages from primary to higher education explained that Imo state has the highest number of primary education enrolment with about 90% of the populace attending, while 40% of that number access secondary education and 10% attaining higher/ university education, and queried where the rest that could not complete their education were dropped and what happens to their future?
Worried by this state of affairs, he said he was moved to forward to the state House of Assembly the approval for another N10,000 jobs to accommodate this category.
He also revealed that he had forwarded approval for subvention for the 44 schools handed over to the missions for upgrading, adding that there would be three leaders in his cabinet for the labour sector notably: Senior Special Assistance I, II and III.
He also promised to look into petitions arising from a recent government white paper with a view to ratifying workers grievances, adding that his administration was that of innovators, paradigm shifters and vision bearers.