Anambra Begins N70,000 Minimum Wage, Free Education In Schools

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

The Anambra State Government on Thursday September 26, 2024, informed that effective, October, it will begin the payment of the approved N70,000 monthly national minimum wage.

This is even as it announced that its free education policy for pupils of primary and students of secondary schools will kick off  next week.

The Source reports that a few months ago, the Federal Government and the leadership of the organized labour had negotiated and agreed on N 70,000 as the monthly minimum take home pay for the country’s workforce.

However, most States had equally insisted on negotiating the wage downwards to conform with the level of their resources.

As at the time of reporting,  (Thursday, September 26) the Federal Government, which early in the week, agreed on July 29, 2024, as the date for the payment of the new minimum wage, after equally agreeing on the consequential adjustments, had started the payment of the new wage to its workers .

Governor Charles Soludo who disclosed this at an interactive session with Principals and Head Teachers of public schools held at the Professor Dora Akunyili Women Centre in Awka, said despite the lean resources of the State, his administration will always strive to deliver on its promises to the people.

“I assure that even with the resource constraint, this administration will continue to work very hard to deliver on its electioneering promises and mandate .

From next month, we hope to start paying the new minimum wage of N70,000”, the Governor stated.

However, he did not disclose whether the State will be paying in full, or a negotiated amount .

Continuing, the Governor who will be facing the electorate early next year for a possible renewal of his mandate, said the State intends to sustain a full blown free education for all public primary schools pupils and both junior and Senior Secondary schools students.

“From next week, the free education policy will be available to senior students in all public schools in Anambra state”, he noted .

The Governor had before now ,instituted the free education programme for Primary and Junior secondary schools.

The Source reports that Governor Soludo, at different fora, had continuously assured of his administration’s commitment towards leaving a lasting legacy in the education sector.