C' River:Civil Servants Decry Non-payment of Salaries for 8 Months

 No fewer than 2000 civil servants in the employment of Cross River government have voiced their frustration over non-payment of their eight months salaries after they were duly employed.

Some of the civil servants who spoke in a separate interview, noted that this is particularly regrettable, especially as states received allocation as at when due from the federation account.

The respondents who pleaded anonymity, also emphasised that the allocation has more than doubled since the removal of fuel subsidy.

IT was gathered that workers across the 18 local government areas of the state are being owed salaries of between two to five months.

While the workers could not readily explain what was responsible for the delay in the payment of their salaries, they appealed to the governor to do the needful.

According to one of the respondents with the Ministry of Works, "It is sad that a government that has not been able to pay its workers is spending hugely to decorate Calabar all in the name of Carnival.

"We were duly employed and have done documentation to that effect since we received our employment letters, we have even done induction programme, and no one is telling us what is happening."

Another respondents with the ministry of Health who said she was among the first batch of 500 employed in July, said, "I was inducted into the civil service, and we have been working without salary for five months.  

"In October, we heard that salaries had started being paid, but only in batches. Out of my set, only two people, both administrative officers, were paid. 

"This November, just one person received payment. At this rate, some of us may work for two years without being paid."

Similarly, local government workers, both newly employed and the old staff, complain of the same situation.

One of the council workers with Calabar Municipality, who said he was employees earlier in the year, explained that they were being owed between two to five months of salaries.

He, however, noted that he received his October salary on Friday, while many are yet to receive theirs.

However, the state chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) said it is not unaware of the matter and that it is receiving the deserve attention from the union.

The state chairman of the union, Mr Gregory Olayi, explained that the NLC had given the government a 14-day ultimatum from Monday to sort of the issues.

"We are pursuing and will not rest until these people are paid. 

"As for that of the local government, there are issues that I can't disclosed right now, but it is on record that we had warned the government before then," he stated.

Meanwhile, the government has absolved itself of any blame on the issue of unpaid salaries of local government workers.

Dr Erasmus Ekpang, Commissioner for information in the state, also said any workers under the employment of the state, must have had problems with their documentation.

"A total of 2,500 were engaged in the state civil service, and they were in batches, as such, their salaries comes in batches after two to three months after employment.

"I don't believe there is any that have not been paid within such period and anyone with such complain, such chech their documentation.

"As for the local government workers, the state remits to the council once allocation is received as such, the state has nothing to do with the payment of their workers salaries," he explained.

 Source: NAN