On Thursday, April 24, Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, made an exciting announcement: he approved the payment of five months’ worth of overdue salaries for the hardworking staff at Edo State Polytechnic, Usen.
In a statement shared by the Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Fred Itua, the Governor confirmed that not only would the salary arrears be paid, but the staff would also receive their April 2025 salary on time. This important payment came just in time for the Easter celebrations, bringing much-needed joy to the staff.
The decision to pay these overdue salaries is seen as a major step forward in solving long-standing salary problems that had made it difficult for the school to run smoothly and left workers feeling frustrated.
Itua also mentioned that the government is making big changes to fix the salary problems for good. One of the key reforms is that the Polytechnic’s salary payments will now be handled directly by the State Government’s payroll system. This new plan will make sure that salaries are paid regularly and that everything is done in a more organized way.
“The decision to centralize the salary structure under the State’s direct payroll is part of Governor Okpebholo’s commitment to improving Edo State’s universities and making them run better,” said Itua.
In October 2024, the staff of the Polytechnic had raised concerns because they hadn’t been paid for several months. They revealed that their last salary, which was supposed to be paid in May 2024, didn’t arrive until September 2024. They were also upset because they didn’t benefit from the ₦70,000 minimum wage that was given to other government workers.
Now, with the new payment and changes in place, the staff at the Polytechnic are feeling hopeful and appreciated, as they are now fully part of the State’s wider worker benefits program. This move is seen as a huge step toward making things right for the workers and ensuring the Polytechnic can keep running smoothly in the future.
