By Efa Sunday and Deborah Obot
Workers in Cross River State have protested the payment of May salaries on the first day of the month by Governor Ben Ayade.
Despite the state receiving the least revenue allocation from the federation account and being third most indebted State in the country, Ayade has made a habit of being the first to pay salaries in the country.
He has in each of the last three years paid May salaries on the first day of the month.
But speaking on the development, the State Chairman of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Comrade Clarkson Otu, said workers and the leadership of labor were unhappy over the early payment of salaries by the State Government.
According to the labour leader, even though the Government means well, labour is nonetheless not happy with the situation.
“As labour leaders we do not support it (early salaries payment). We have told His Excellency 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 stated.
Speaking in a similar vein, the State Chairman of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Ben Ukpepi decried the early payment of salaries by the state government.
Ukpepi said the leadership of labour under him will engage with the Governor with a view to putting an end to early payments of salaries in the State.
Meanwhile, Governor Ayade has expressed his administration’s readiness to implement the new minimum wage recently passed into law by President Mohammadu Buhari once the necessary modalities are sorted by the Federal Government and made available to the State.
Speaking through the Secretary to the State Government, Barr. Tina Banku Agbor at the May Day rally in Calabar, Ayade pledged to pay the new minimum wage once the modalities have been worked out by the Federal Government.
See pictures from the event which held at UJ Esuene stadium;
