Unpaid Salaries: "Go & Ask What C'River Get As FAAC Before You Talk About Gratuity & Salaries, Are We The First To Owe"? - Ayade's Chief of Staff Queries

Hon. Orim

The Cross River State government has justified the non-payment of over six months salary of road sweepers, pensions to retired civil servants and other salaries in the state.

Recall that road sweepers recently staged a peaceful protest in Calabar, the state capital, to demand for the payment of their monthly five thousand naira (N5,000) salary, which has not been paid for over six months.

Also, on the 12th of October, 2021, the Organized Labour in the State embarked on strike over the nonpayment of gratuities to retirees of both state and local government councils’ workers for the past six years.

Other grievances of the Unions are non-remittances of deductions from workers’ salaries and the full implementation of the minimum wage to both state and local government workers.

Also listed are non implementation of promotions arrears to workers of both state and local government councils’ workers and reinstatement of pensioners wrongfully removed from payroll.

Reacting to a post on Facebook by Dr. Joseph Odok, an All Progressives Congress (APC) member, appealing to the state governor, Prof. Ben Ayade to listen to the cry of the workers, the Chief of Staff to the governor, Hon. Martin Orim, said the state would not be the first to owe salaries.

Dr. Odok had written:

"Dear Governor Sir Benedict Ayade please look into the issue of unpaid salaries and gratuity. It is making negative headlines. I know those who don't love you will blackmail me before you for raising it"

Hon. Orim wrote:

"Go find out what Cross River State get from FAAC as monthly allocation before you come to social media to talk about gratuity  and salaries. Besides is the state owing salaries? Even if they do, will it be the first administration or state to owe salaries? . I don’t know why you’re always looking for cheap popularity"