As some people continue to eulogise Governor Udom Emmanuel for announcing to pay new minimum wage of N30,000 to Akwa Ibom workers, workers in the state public employ who were affected by the last promotion exercise in the state are crying for non-payment of their arrears.
Though some workers are happy over the governor’s pledge to pay the new minimum wage to them, others are begging the governor to pay their three years’ promotion arrears before he thinks of implementing the new minimum wage which is still in the pipeline.
Governor Emmanuel who had on Monday during consultation to the organized labour unions comprising the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Trade Union Congress, TUC and the United Labour Congress, ULC, on his second term ambition, at the Workers Solidarity Centre, Atan Offot, Uyo, pledged to pay workers the new Minimum Wage once implemented by the Federal Government.
Emmanuel remarked that the planned legislation by the Federal Government for an Act of National Assembly on the minimum wage, has not yet been achieved, adding that Akwa Ibom was also waiting for the direction of the government in the implementation of the new wage.
“Minimum wage has never been an issue here. It is only that it has to be under what is called legislation and when something is a legislation, it is not only a state; it’s a whole country. So, we are waiting for the direction of the country, once they give us a direction, then we’ll know what to do,” he stated.
Straightnews had to interview some public servants in the state Ministries, Departments, Agencies and public secondary schools over non-payment of their promotion arrears to hear their side of the story.
Owing to the existence of Official Secret Act of 1962 which is now changed to Freedom of Information Act of 2011 that forbids public servants from talking to the press or divulging any information or secret to the public, few of them spoke to Straightnews on condition of anonymity.
One Sunday Ette (not real name) in Ministry of Agriculture expressed disappointment on the manner the governor treats the public workers with disdain since he assumed office three years and seven months ago.
Ette said “A senior worker who was due for promotion on April 30, 2018 got his promotion letter dated May 1, 2018. And the arrears for three years are forfeited by the government on an inexplainable reason.”
Mrs Eka Udoh (not real name) of the state Ministry of Health lamented the forfeiture of her promotion arrears for three years, doubting if the same government would be willing to pay the new minimum wage to workers without them embarking on strike.
A staffer of Deputy Governor’s Office, Uyo who did not want to mention her name confided in Straightnews that she was due for promotion since 2014 but the promotion letter was released to her in 2017.
The administrative staff on Grade Level 12 complained that of the three years promotion arrears she was to have benefited from, the state government forfeited her arrears of two years and eight months and paid her only four months’ arrears.
However, a caller in Inspiration Radio, Uyo on Wednesday had appealed to the governor to pay the workers their three years’ promotion arrears before he envisages paying the new minimum wage to workers.
On Tuesday, some callers on Planet 101.1 FM were pouring encomiums on the governor on his readiness to pay workers the new minimum wage. Some were naive in not knowing the procedures involved in the implementation of the wage.
Before President Muhammadu Buhari had agreed with the Organised Labour for payment of the N30,000 to workers, many governors disagreed that they would not be able to pay the minimum wage.
Other governors including Akwa Ibom governor were mute on the issue until the electioneering campaigns were kicked off when they came out from their shells to make political statements to woo gullible voters.
Unfortunately, majority of Akwa Ibom public servants do not enjoy full implementation of N18,000 minimum wage except workers on Grade Level 01 are enjoying it in full while others were shortchanged right from the era of ex-governor Victor Attah till now.
At the moment, the Presidency will send the new Minimum Wage to meeting of National Economic Council (NEC) members comprising the President, Vice President and governors among others on Thursday this week for consideration and approval.
Thereafter, the Federal Government will transmit the approved wage to the National Assembly for deleiberations and passage into law before it is sent to the President for assent before it becomes Minimum Wage Act due for implementation by the various employers in the country.
By implication, members of National Assembly fully engaged in electioneering campaigns are unlikely to pass the new Minimum Wage law for implementation before February 16- date for presidential/National Assembly election and March 2- date for governorship/state House of Assembly elections in the country.
Effort to reach the state head of civil service, Mrs Ekerebong Akpan was not succeessful as at the time going to the press.
