By Patrick Obia
24 hours after Calabar ad-hoc staff who sweeps the roads for the Calabar Urban Development Authority (CUDA) staged a peaceful protest and barricaded Governor’s Office Calabar, over four months of unpaid salaries, the Cross River State Government has bowed to pressure, pay one out of four months.
The women who were gathered under the scorching sun in the premises of Water Board Limited were called one after the other by regions – Marian, Governor’s Office, Calabar South, Mary Slessor, Eta-Agbor among other areas of duty.
They were told to collect the one month salary (N10,000), get to work and the remaining three months will be paid before May 29th, 2023; a period Governor Ayade will take a bow from government.
The women were also strongly warned to sweep and keep the city of Calabar clean to help convince the governor to release the remaining balance. The women who were disgruntled about the one-month payment agreed to get to work but said they will not be tricked anymore and will not hesitate to stage another peaceful demonstration if dribbled again.
When CrosssRiverWatch arrived at the venue at about 3:pm and left at about 5:50 pm, a good number of the sweepers were still trooping in as information filled the air payment had commenced.
Meanwhile, the government officials including the sweepers’ Supervisor – Eno Edem making the payments all refused to speak, reacting: “Who invite journalist? We are paying them. Nobody should talk,” one of the payers said.
CrossRiverWatch gathered that the woman who drove a white Toyota Venza car and spearheaded the payment is a close associate of the governor.
At the time of filing this report, payment was ongoing while this reporter had to leave due to the hostile atmosphere the officials created for the reporter.
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