Tension in Top South South State as Workers Begin Protest, Give Reasons
- Workers in Cross River state have decried the non-payment of their salaries by the state government
- The civil servants took to the streets to protest against the delay in their payments for the past five years
- However, the head of service for Cross River state has denied claims that civil servants are being owed that long
Some workers in Cross River state have taken to the streets of Calabar to protest the non-payment of their salaries for five years.
PM News reports that no fewer than 1,700 civil servants in the state embarked on a protest against the non-payment of their salaries by the state government.
Source: Facebook
It was gathered that the protesting workers converged at the entrance of the state's secretariat as early as 7.30 am on Tuesday, August 23.
Carrying placards with various inscriptions, the protesting civil servants chanted solidarity songs and appealed to the government to pay their salaries.
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Some of their placards read:
"Where is the fold on the table you promised? Hunger is everywhere we are humans and not animals.”
“Gov. Ayade pay us our salaries. We were duly employed. Five years is not five days.”
Speaking on behalf of the protesting workers, Raphael Antigha condemned the nonchalant attitude of the Cross River state government over their challenge.
Antigha said many emissaries had been made to the government to initiate and conclude payment of the state workers to no avail.
His words:
“The government has made us undergo two screenings and verification to resolve the issue and yet, the issue remains the same.
“We were duly employed and have all been issued establishment numbers and even appointment letters and properly documented.
“We are just about 1,700 in number and the highest salary amongst us is N47,000.
“Each time the government complains of no money and yet, he gives out hundreds of political appointments each week, where is he getting the money to pay them?”
Cross River state government responds
In his reaction, the head of the service for Cross River state, Ogbang Akwaji, denied the claim that the government was owing workers in the state.
Akwaji said:
“Cross River government is one state that has placed great premium on the welfare of its workforce, in spite the challenging revenue inflows.
“At the moment, July salaries have been paid to workers by the state government. There are no workers in the state who are being owed five years salaries."
Thousands of 'Obi-dient' youths take over streets of Calabar, photos, video emerge
Nigerian youths in Calabar, Cross River state took a different approach to support the Labour Party's 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi.
The youth stormed the streets of Calabar in their thousands on a Fitness Walk for Peter Obi on Saturday, August 13.
According to the youths, they are about to take over their country with the possible emergence of Obi and his running mate Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed as leaders of the nation.
Trouble for school children as Abia teachers begin indefinite strike over non-payment of salaries, others
School teachers in Abia state had taken a firm decision to embark on strike action over the government's inability to treat them fairly.
The teachers accused the Abia state government of owing them several months of salary arrears and their entitlements.
For their leave allowances, the teachers said the last time they received such payments was in 2008.
Among other demands made by the teachers is the improvement of the learning environment for school children in the state.
Source: Legit.ng
