Cross River state workers protest as governor pays May salary

Workers in Cross River protested on Wednesday, May 1, over the payment of their May salary on the first day of the month by the state governor, Ben Ayade.

Legit.ng learnt that the workers expressed reservations that Governor Ayade paid their May salaries in advance just like he had always done since he assumed office.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the state chairman of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Clarkson Otu, told journalists that the workers and the leadership of labour were unhappy over the early payment of salary.

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The report quoted the labour leader as saying even though the government means well, the union was not happy with the situation.

“As labour leaders we do not support early salaries payment. We have told the governor that it is not proper. April salary was paid only last week and on May 1st, he pays May salary.

“We are surprised he still paid early this month in spite of our protest. We will continue to engage him on that,” he said.

Also speaking, the chairman of the state's chapter of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Ben Ukpepi, decried the early payment of salaries by the state government.

According to Ukpepi, labour would engage with the governor with a view to putting an end to early payments of salaries in the state.

In his address to the workers, Ayade expressed his administration’s readiness to implement the new minimum wage recently passed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari.

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Ayade, who spoke through the secretary to the state government, Tina Agbor, at the May Day rally in Calabar, pledged to pay the new wage once the modalities was worked out.

Ayade said even though the Cross River receives one of the least revenue allocation from the federation account and is the third most indebted state, he would always pay civil servant early.

Legit.ng earlier reported that there was jubilation in Benue state on Wednesday, May 1, as Governor Samuel Ortom said his government had agreed to pay the N30,000 new minimum wage to its workers.

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Source: Legit.ng