Governor Umo Eno faces a political and legal crisis after allegations emerged that many of his Personal Assistants are paid far less than he publicly claimed and that a compulsory 15% deduction described as a tithe is being imposed at source.
Payslips, appointment letters and bank alerts published by investigative outlets show a pattern that directly contradicts the governor’s public assurance on 22 August that “no Personal Assistant to the Governor earns less than one million naira monthly.”
Appointment letters seen by reporters indicate PAs appointed in 2023 were contracted on a net monthly salary of about ₦350,000.
Bank alerts and payslips published alongside the claims show net credits closer to ₦304,000 between 2023 and May 2025.
That shortfall of roughly ₦46,000 corresponds to the 15% deduction alleged by affected appointees.
In June 2025 the governor publicly announced an uplift to a ₦500,000 net salary for PAs. Appointees say they subsequently received ₦425,000 in their accounts, again indicating a 15% levy.
Those who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity described the deduction as compulsory and unrelated to church affiliation.
The allegation that Governor Eno employs some 5,000 PAs is central to the arithmetic advanced by sources.
At a 15% deduction on a nominal ₦500,000 monthly salary the levy per PA would be ₦75,000.
Multiplied across 5,000 appointees that would amount to ₦375 million per month and roughly ₦4.5 billion per year.
Even if the number of affected appointees is materially lower the sums involved remain politically and legally significant.
Under Nigeria’s Labour Act deductions from wages are lawful only in specified statutory circumstances or where the worker has given clear consent.
Non-statutory unilateral deductions are prima facie unlawful. Labour tribunals in recent years have ordered restitution where employers made unauthorised withdrawals from employee pay.
Human rights lawyers and labour advocates describe compulsory tithes imposed by an employer as antithetical to labour law and potentially actionable in the National Industrial Court or before the State Labour Commissioner.
Umo Eno is both a pastor and a businessman with a corporate history that includes hospitality interests in Akwa Ibom.
Reporting and court filings predating his election document disputes between some former staff and his private businesses.
That background is part of why the present allegations have attracted keen attention.
The governor has denied previous versions of similar claims but has not yet published a consolidated payroll register or the full list of political appointees that would allow independent verification of numbers and pay scales.
Affected appointees describe the practice as exploitative. A whistleblower told reporters that deductions were made without regard to the appointee’s church and that refusal was not an option.
Civil society activists and labour advocates have called for urgent inquiries. Manfred Ekpe, a rights campaigner quoted in coverage of the claims, described compulsory non-statutory deductions as illegal and exploitative.
Political opponents and trade unions will likely seize on authenticated payslips and bank alerts to demand accountability.
The publication of the Secretary to the State Government’s list of political appointees. That list, if released, will allow independent tallies of appointees and their grades.
Formal complaints to the State Labour Commissioner or National Industrial Court. Tribunals can compel employers to produce payroll documents and can order restitution and damages.
Any banking or remittance trail that demonstrates where deducted funds were transferred. A regular receiving account or repeated transfers to identifiable beneficiaries would be decisive evidence.
This report is based on appointment letters, payslips and bank alerts made available to investigative outlets and on public statements by the governor.
Allegations are presented as allegations. Legal commentary is informed by the Labour Act and prevailing tribunal practice.
Arithmetic estimates are included to show the scale of the claims if the underlying numbers are confirmed.
If authenticated the allegations would outline an organised system of unauthorised salary deductions targeted at political appointees. The political consequences are immediate. The legal exposure could be substantial.
For a governor who has cultivated a pastoral public image and who retains private business interests that have attracted labour complaints in the past, the combination of spiritual authority, business reach and public office raises urgent questions about consent, governance and the rule of law.
State labour authorities and, if necessary, federal investigators should demand the immediate production of payroll registers, bank remittance evidence and any signed consent forms that might justify non-statutory deductions.
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