By Fred Nwaozor
The last time I checked, Imo workers across all levels and cadres had a good reason to grin once again after the pronouncement of an ‘August largesse’ by the State’s Executive Governor, Chief Hope Uzodinma.
I woke in the early hours of 27th August 2025 in my Owerri residence to be boldly greeted by the ‘August news’ from the Imo State Government House, which was targeted to elevate the existing smile of members of the working class in the Eastern Heartland. To be candid, the information made my day, even though the day in question just begun.
The exciting and cheering news had it that the government of Chief Uzodinma had graciously increased the Imo workers’ salaries across board. The governor disclosed this during a meeting with various labour union leaders on Tuesday 26th August, 2025 at the Douglas House. This signifies that, irrespective of your cadre or working status, you are directly and automatically a beneficiary of the unexpected policy, hence may be prompted to adjust your monthly budget upwardly.
The latest development showcased that the Imo Government led by Gov. Uzodinma further increased the workers’ Minimum Wage to #104,000, from #76,000 being the current renumeration. This implies that after the previous increment of the basic wage to seven six thousand naira upon the approval of the new National Minimum Wage of seventy thousand naira by the Nigerian government led by Chief Bola Tinubu, the Imo State government thought it wise to further review the wages, perhaps owing to its magnanimity or the workers’ continued call for more like Oliver Twist, due to the present glaring severe economic meltdown experienced within the shores of the country.
According to the increment, henceforth, the basic or commencement salary for resident doctors in the State will now reportedly amount to #503,000 monthly instead of the present #215,000, whilst those teaching in tertiary institutions will now earn #222,000 contrary to the current #119,000, among others.
The topic of this analysis tagged this new policy of Governor Uzodinma a largesse, because it was simply unexpected. Apparently, no worker in Imo saw it coming, hence that caption was intentional. Even though the said group of workers was advocating for a better work pay and incentives, they never expected such margin of increment in their monthly wages.
However, as a concerned Imolite and a long-standing stakeholder in the State, I wouldn’t hesitate to raise my concern over this laudable gesture disclosed by Gov. Uzodinma. Though commendable, is it implementable? I’m just being curious, and equally anxious over the awaited outcome of this resounding economic policy aimed at improving the overall workers’ welfare.
Overtime, policies of this kind unveiled in the past, and even presently, by various governments across Nigeria and beyond have suffered a setback as a result of either insincerity on the part of the supposed benefactor, or inadequate monitoring of the implementation procedure by the relevant authority.
Currently, it’s constantly in the news that the Nigerian workers are crying foul over the inability of the Federal Government (FG) to aptly implement the newly approved #70,000 National Minimum Wage. According to the aggrieved workers, a certain amount of about thirty thousand naira or thereabouts was rather added to every worker’s salary, contrary to the required adjustment method. Even at that, the salaries are reportedly heavily burdened with inconsequential taxes and deductions, thereby further lowering the purchasing power of this set of public servants.
I’m sure the workers of most states who purportedly increased their respective minimum wages to even more than #70,000 also have similar story to tell, or same song to sing. It’s noteworthy that that of Imo was then raised to #76,000, which was the figure further increased by the governor, as was announced on 26th August 2025.
Imo, as a state, might possess enough resources to cater for this new increment, but the question from concerned observers centres on the preparedness of the government to genuinely follow up the approved policy with a lofty implementation as required. Well-meaning Imolites truly want to see the Imo workers receiving these newly initiated entitlements, which were personally pronounced by the sitting governor.
The governor ought to, therefore, take into cognizance that if the Imo workers eventually received this ‘largesse’ as actually required, his name would be written in the State’s history book, because the new era would see the Imo workers earning more than their federal counterparts. This is the reason he must go extra mile to ensure the policy sees the light of the day; else, he should be prepared to be labelled a ‘deceitful leader’, which most likely would be the reaction of the supposed beneficiaries if the otherwise happens.
More so, it was pronounced that all pending gratuities of Imo retirees would be cleared henceforth. This is equally a welcome development. Notwithstanding, this isn’t unlike the stories we keep hearing from past and present governments, not just in Imo but across Nigeria. In the Nigerian State at large, it seems virtually every government’s leadership has vowed to treat issues pertaining to pensions and gratuities with kid’s glove.
I want to make it publicly clear that one of the factors that endangered my lovely Mum’s life while alive was the deliberate inability of the Imo State Government to pay the septuagenarian, alongside other senior citizens, her entitled gratuity coupled with many years’ pensions. She suffered this fate, which ostensibly led to depression, under the administration of Rochas Okorocha, and it lingered to the emergence of Hope Uzodinma, until she was called by her Creator on August 20, 2023.
Governments at all levels must begin to consider implementation as a paramount aspect of their policies if they are genuinely interested in governance rather than politics, thereby making the former to be strongly felt by the governed than the latter. Political office holders must acknowledge that governance commences immediately any election result is declared, and a victor emerges; at this point, politics cease to exist.
Hence, we earnestly hope and pray the Imo pronouncement isn’t merely for media talk and popularity, as usually observed in most quarters, but to candidly alleviate the glaring lingering economic menace being faced by the workers. Think about it!
Nwaozor, a Policy analyst & Rights activist, writes via frednwaozor@gmail.com
