Akwa Ibom State government has frowned at what it called illegal deductions of N8 billion by the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) from its two-month allocation.
Governor Udom Emmanuel who spoke on Monday at the Nigeria Labour Congress House, Atan Offot in Uyo local government area said FAAC has deducted N4 billion each from its December and January allocations.
Emmanuel who was later adopted by members of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Trade Union Congress, TUC and United Labour Congress, ULC in Akwa Ibom as their governorship candidate for the March 2 election lamented that the money would have been ploughed into the development of the state and payment of entitlements owed workers.
On the requests by the labour unions, he pledged to have a round-table meeting with the leaders with a view to looking into them for solutions.
Comrade Etim Ukpong, the NLC chairperson apologised to the governor in that some workers led by Mrs. Ekerebong Akpan, the Head of Civil Service were at the Civil Service Auditorium, Idongesit Nkanga Secretariat to pray for peaceful conduct of the forthcoming general elections.
Ukpong thanked the governor for the regular payment of monthly salary to workers and monthly pensions to retirees.
He appealed to the governor to look into non-payment of promotion arrears to workers, saying “As a magnanimous father, we hope you will listen to us.”
He further appealed to the governor to look into non-payment of gratuity to workers in the state ministries, departments and agencies as well as non-refund of 7.5 contributory pension scheme to retired and serving primary school teachers.
Comrade Akamba Awah, the state chairman of Trade Union Congress, TUC, called on the governor to look into the plights of the workers mainly payment of gratuity to pensioners.
Earlier, the labour unions presided over by Ukpong, the state NLC Chairperson, had told the workers the various efforts he has been making to solve their problems, and called on the workers to cooperate with him in finding solutions to their plights.
Thereafter, Awah, TUC Chairman put into motion if they would want the adoption of the governor for a second term in the office, and the labour leaders agreed.
