The Akwa Ibom State Government has paid more than N90 billion out of inherited gratuity liabilities of over N111 billion owed to retired public servants, while recruiting or approving the recruitment of 7,069 personnel since Governor Umo Eno assumed office in May 2023.
The Head of the Akwa Ibom State Civil Service, Mrs Elsie Peters, disclosed the figures in Uyo during a media briefing to mark the commencement of the 2026 Public Service Day celebration.
Peters said the payment of the inherited gratuity liabilities was among the administration’s major interventions aimed at improving the welfare of workers and retirees, adding that the government remained committed to progressively clearing the outstanding balance.
She also said the administration had maintained regular payment of salaries and implemented an N80,000 minimum wage for state public servants with effect from November 1, 2024, following a verification exercise.
Another welfare measure highlighted by the Head of Service is the state’s 13th-month salary, popularly known as “Eno-Mber”. The initiative was introduced by Eno in 2023 and has since been sustained as an additional financial benefit for public servants during the festive period.
On recruitment, Peters said approximately 4,000 personnel had been recruited by May 2026, while approval was given for an additional 1,000 primary school teachers. She added that 766 workers were recruited into the health sector and other critical areas, bringing the total recruited or approved to about 7,069 personnel.
The recruitment, she explained, was aimed at addressing staffing gaps, strengthening the state’s public institutions and improving service delivery.
The administration has also introduced other welfare interventions, including pension increases for certain categories of retirees and the refund of outstanding 7.5 per cent pension contributions, according to the Head of Service.
Peters further disclosed that the government approved N1.1 billion as a welfare bonus during the 2024 Public Service Week, amounting to N20,000 for each worker, as part of measures to cushion the effects of prevailing economic difficulties.
The state also approved a N1.1 billion wardrobe allowance for more than 20,000 teachers working in public primary schools, technical colleges and secondary schools.
In another intervention, 150 completed two-bedroom expandable houses under the Grace Estate initiative were allocated free of charge to civil servants on Grade Levels 01 to 08 through a raffle process. The administration also launched the Akwa Ibom State Health Insurance Scheme for civil servants, with the government covering premiums for junior workers.
The latest figures represent a significant expansion of the welfare measures announced by the Eno administration since its inauguration. In November 2024, the governor had announced the N80,000 minimum wage and the continuation of the 13th-month salary, while the government at the time said it had already paid N35 billion in gratuities to retired state and local government workers and primary school teachers.
AbdulBasit Saba is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering news, business, and public affairs.
