Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru, has approved a Christmas bonus of ₦150,000 for every civil servant in the state for the 2025 festive season.
The governor made the announcement on Sunday during a church service at the Government House Chapel in Abakaliki, according to a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Monday Uzor.
“Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru of Ebonyi State has announced a hundred and fifty thousand naira Christmas bonus to every civil servant in the state,” the statement read.
Uzor quoted Nwifuru as saying the decision reflects his administration’s commitment to improving the welfare of workers despite dwindling state revenue over the past year.
While addressing the congregation, the governor dismissed rumours suggesting delays in the construction of the Vincent Agwu Nwankwo Flyover, described as a landmark infrastructural project in the state.
“You cannot find any state in Nigeria that is doing such a flyover currently,” Nwifuru said.
He explained that the scale of the project makes the construction process demanding and noted that it would transform the state’s landscape and improve its aesthetic appeal when completed. The governor criticised misconceptions circulated by social media commentators.
“We are doing it not because we have money. We are doing it because we want to sign our signature in the annals of history,” he said, adding that Ebonyi State aims to be recognised globally for good governance and modern infrastructure.
In August, the governor approved an increase in the state’s minimum wage by ₦20,000, raising the pay for civil servants to ₦90,000.
The state government said the increase took immediate effect and is part of Nwifuru’s People’s Charter of Needs Agenda.
At the federal level, President Bola Tinubu signed the national minimum wage bill into law in July 2024 following passage by the National Assembly.
The law raised the minimum wage from ₦30,000 to ₦70,000 after months of negotiations among labour unions, the private sector, and government authorities.
However, some states are yet to implement the new wage structure nationwide.
