Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, says his administration will clear the outstanding gratuity obligations to retired workers before May 29, 2027, with gratuity payments thereafter synchronised with monthly salaries.
Governor Eno stated this during the unveiling and turning of the sod for the construction of the Ikot Ekpene International Market in Ikot Ekpene Local Government Area, as part of activities marking the 39th anniversary of Akwa Ibom State.
The Governor said his administration inherited a gratuity liability of ₦111 billion, assuring workers and retirees that the outstanding obligations would be fully settled before the end of his first tenure.
Governor Eno disclosed that government had already paid ₦100 billion of the liability and had committed an additional ₦2 billion, with the remaining ₦11 billion expected to be cleared before May 29, 2027.
“We came to pay gratuity that we met on the ground — 111 billion. Today, I have just signed off another two billion. We have paid 100 billion naira. Before May 29, we will complete the rest 11 billion.”
Governor Eno further announced a significant shift in the state’s workers’ welfare policy, saying that from 2027, gratuity payments would be made at the same time and in the same manner as salaries, ensuring greater predictability for workers and retirees.
“And so when we cross into 2027, everybody will be at par. We’ll be paying gratuity the same way, the same time we are paying salaries.”
The Governor linked the gratuity clearance to his administration’s broader commitment to improving the welfare of workers, students, youths, elderly citizens and vulnerable groups, stressing that the impact of governance should be felt directly by the people.
Governor Eno cited the payment of students’ transportation fares, monthly allowances for Akwa Ibom indigenes serving outside the state under the National Youth Service Corps, free healthcare initiatives and youth development programmes as some of the interventions introduced by his administration.
“We came to say that it is possible to pay students’ bus fare. We came to say that even our NYSC young graduates that are serving in other states can draw some allowances on a monthly basis.”
The Governor also said the administration had demonstrated its commitment to grassroots development through projects and interventions across the state’s 31 local government areas, including provision of water, housing and access to healthcare.
He noted that the commissioning of 39 projects to mark the state’s 39th anniversary was not the end of the administration’s development programme, revealing that about 85 other projects are still awaiting commissioning, with more projects scheduled to be completed up to May 29, 2027.
Turning specifically to the Ikot Ekpene International Market, Governor Eno described the project as an infrastructure for economic opportunity, saying it would provide a platform for traders, entrepreneurs, artisans, manufacturers and young people to expand their businesses and connect with wider markets.
The Governor said the facility was designed not merely as a trading centre, but as an avenue for Akwa Ibom’s indigenous products to compete in national, regional and international markets.
“We are not just turning the sod for this market. Today, we are laying the foundation for prosperity. We are building an infrastructure of opportunity.”
The Governor said the project formed part of the administration’s wider effort to build an economy where citizens would not only consume wealth but also create it.
He also listed other major projects being delivered by the administration, including the International Convention Centre, a 200-bed hotel, an international hospital with more than 40 clinics, as well as other economic and social infrastructure.
Governor Eno said the projects and welfare interventions were evidence of his administration’s commitment to making governance tangible at the grassroots, while assuring the people that more development initiatives would follow.