Governor Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State has said the failure of local governments in the state to implement the N90,000 minimum wage for teachers under the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) is linked to the ongoing settlement of gratuity arrears owed to retired council workers.
The governor explained that the financial commitments to pensioners have significantly constrained the ability of the 13 local government councils to immediately begin payment of the new wage for junior and primary school teachers.
Nwifuru spoke during the flag-off of the distribution of instructional materials to public schools at the Ebonyi State Universal Basic Education Board (EBUBEB) headquarters along the Enugu–Abakaliki Expressway.
He said available financial records show that councils retain limited funds after meeting gratuity obligations.
“There has been this issue of non-payment of the N90,000 minimum wage to our newly recruited and posted teachers,” he said.
The Nigerian Union of Teachers had earlier threatened to embark on industrial action over the delay, but the governor said he appealed to the union for understanding while the backlog of gratuities is being cleared.
He assured the teachers that the situation is temporary and expressed confidence that the wage implementation would begin soon.
Nwifuru noted that the affected teachers would ultimately benefit from the wage adjustment, which other categories of workers in the state are already receiving.
