The organised labour in Abia says the state government is rated the best in the implementation of the N30,000 minimum wage in the five South-East states. The state Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Chief Uchenna Obigwe, said this at a news briefing in Umuahia on Thursday.

Obigwe spoke from a statement jointly signed by the state Chairmen of the Joint Negotiation Council (JNC) and Trade Union Congress, Chief Chris Okoro and Mr Sunny Onwuma, and himself for NLC, respectively.

He said it was imperative for labour to put the records straight and correct the misinformation “in certain quarters that Abia does not pay minimum wage”.

According to him, the state commenced the implementation of the minimum wage in 2011.

The body, therefore, cautioned those spreading the “damaging information” to desist forthwith.

It said, “Abia is the best in the southeast in the implementation of the minimum wage.

“What Ebonyi is taking now was what Abia took as minimum wage since 2011.

“Abia has implemented CONHESS and CONMES for their health workers since 2011.”

Obigwe further said that the state government set up a Minimum Wage Committee, which comprised labour and government officials and headed by the JNC chairman.

He said the organised labour in the state should be commended and not vilified for realising the new wage for workers earlier than other states in the country.

The group, therefore, appealed to its national leadership to persuade the state to do more for workers, in terms of welfare and other statutory entitlements, “instead of causing trouble for the workers”.