Governor begins payment of N70,000 minimum wage
The Sokoto State Government, under the leadership of Governor Ahmed Aliyu, has announced the immediate implementation of the new N70,000 national minimum wage for all state civil servants, local government employees, and the Local Government Education Authority.
The policy takes effect on Monday.
In a statement issued by the governor’s Press Secretary, Abubakar Bawa, Aliyu described the implementation of the revised minimum wage as a demonstration of his administration’s commitment to improving workers’ welfare.
He urged civil servants to reciprocate the gesture with greater dedication and professionalism.
“With the commencement of the payment of this new national minimum wage, we expect renewed commitment, hard work, punctuality, and, above all, seriousness from our civil servants,” the statement quoted the governor as saying.
The governor also reassured state workers of his administration’s dedication to maintaining the timely payment of salaries.
He confirmed that salaries would continue to be paid between the 19th and 22nd of every month, further solidifying Sokoto state’s reputation as a worker-friendly administration.
In addition to the minimum wage implementation, Aliyu has prioritised clearing the backlog of gratuities owed to retired workers.
The government has allocated N500 million monthly to offset unpaid gratuities and an additional N300 million for retirees who left service from 2023 onward.
“This strategic approach ensures that by the end of my administration, no civil servant will be owed gratuities,” the governor stated.
He contrasted this progress with the situation under previous administrations, where salary payments were often delayed by over 50 days, causing financial uncertainty for workers.
