Abia PDP candidate promises tax relief, N90,000 wage

The Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate in Abia State, Dr Kelechi Anosike, has promised to abolish daily taxes imposed on wheelbarrow and truck pushers and introduce a welfare-oriented tax regime if elected governor in the 2027 election.

Anosike also pledged to raise the minimum wage for the lowest-paid state workers to N90,000, clear outstanding gratuities, pensions and allowances within his first 100 days in office, and undertake a comprehensive restructuring of the state’s salary system.

The international lawyer and public policy expert made the promises during a radio simulcast broadcast by 12 stations across Abia as part of activities marking the formal commencement of his campaign in accordance with the guidelines of the Independent National Electoral Commission.

Anosike’s campaign is built around what he described as relieving residents of an excessive tax burden while expanding the state’s economic base so that government revenue would increasingly come from investment and productive activity rather than levies on low-income residents.

He particularly criticised the collection of daily levies from petty workers, arguing that taxing people who rely primarily on manual labour was counterproductive.

“Why do you tax a truck pusher, a barrow pusher N1,000, N2,000 per day? I will abolish it. He’s not using your light, he’s not using your diesel. He’s just using his raw muscle,” he said.

The PDP candidate said a government led by him would conduct a comprehensive review of Abia’s tax policy and replace what he called the current “heavy tax regime” with a system designed to generate revenue without worsening the economic pressure on traders, artisans, workers and other residents.

He said traders, particularly those operating in Ariaria International Market, had complained about what he described as excessive taxation.

Anosike argued that the state could increase its internally generated revenue by expanding economic activity and attracting investors rather than relying disproportionately on taxes and levies imposed on people already struggling to make a living.

“We will work hard and open up the state for investors to come. Their investments will boost the state’s economy and Internally Generated Revenue, and provide the needed resources to develop the state rather than choke the citizens with taxation,” he said.

The candidate said his proposed tax reforms would therefore be accompanied by an aggressive drive to attract Foreign Direct Investment, which he said would create jobs, expand the state’s economic base and provide government with additional revenue.

On workers’ welfare, Anosike promised that his administration would set N90,000 as the minimum salary for the least-paid state employee, describing the current disparity in pay among workers as unacceptable.

He said although the Federal Government had established N70,000 as the national minimum wage benchmark, some workers in Abia were still receiving about N50,000.

“The government has put a benchmark at N70,000. Sadly, some workers in Abia are still collecting N50,000. The Anosike-led administration will start from N90,000, and it will be applied holistically across the board, not selectively,” he said.

He also promised to establish an Abia State Salary Review and Restructuring Committee within his first 100 days to examine discrepancies in the civil service and harmonise salaries across grades.

Anosike said the proposed review would address situations in which workers performing at higher levels were allegedly being paid salaries applicable to lower grades.

“It is wrong for a Level 8 officer to still be receiving the salary of Level 4. This discrimination will stop,” he said.

• Enugu CP orders probe after gunmen disrupt NDC meeting, PDP rally
• Amosun mourns ex-PDP national chairman Bamanga Tukur
• C’River gov mourns Bamanga Tukur, says Nigeria lost a statesman

Beyond salaries, he pledged what he described as a broader “Civil Service Care” programme, which would include prompt payment of salaries and allowances and health insurance for workers.

He also proposed a “Pension Plus” programme to review pension payments in line with the new minimum wage.

The PDP candidate further promised to clear all outstanding gratuities, pensions and allowances within 100 days of assuming office.

He argued that increased allocations from the Federation Account following the removal of the fuel subsidy had provided states with additional resources, which, in his view, should translate into improved welfare for workers and pensioners.

Referencing the mass dismissal of workers by previous administrations, Anosike also said his government would address the consequences of what he described as the premature dismissal of about 15,000 workers.

Anosike said youth employment would form another pillar of his administration, announcing plans to establish the Abia Labour and Global Opportunities Agency, ALGOA.

According to him, the agency would equip young people with remote-work skills and connect them to opportunities that could enable them to earn in foreign currencies, including dollars and pounds.

He also promised to establish a football academy and construct stadia in Aba and Umuahia within his first year in office.

The candidate linked the proposed youth programmes to his broader argument that government should create conditions under which residents can earn incomes rather than depend on government intervention.

On infrastructure, Anosike said his administration would combine road construction with investment in other aspects of human development.

Using the Igbo expression, “Aruo uzo, aruo afo,” which he translated as building roads and building lives, he said infrastructure development would not be pursued at the expense of social welfare.

“In one year, you will count four major legacy projects. We will not build roads at the expense of people’s lives,” he said.

Asked to assess the performance of the incumbent administration, Anosike acknowledged what he described as some development in the state, particularly road construction, but argued that the government had not done enough relative to the resources available to it.

“There are pockets of development, especially in roads. But it is not enough based on what Abia receives monthly. In a national assessment, only roads were above average. All other sectors were below average. I rate them below average,” he said.

Anosike said his campaign would therefore focus on what he described as a broader development model combining infrastructure, workers’ welfare, investment, youth employment and improved public services.

He ended by presenting his candidacy as a promise of a more expansive development programme, declaring, “Anosike, g’eme karia,” meaning “Anosike will do much more.”