-As A’Ibom civil servants berate gov over salary delay
-AKSG sacks salary consultant
By Our Reporter
Civil Servants in Akwa Ibom State have cried out over non payment of their June salaries by the Akwa Ibom State, under the administration of Governor Umo Eno.
This development is coming days after a group in the state, PDP Young Professionals Converge, in an open letter, alleged that the governor spent over N2.5 billion in his mega formal defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC)
Some civil servants in Akwa Ibom State employ who made their complaint known through an exclusive interview with the Guide Newspaper during the week, described the delay in payment of workers’ salaries in Akwa Ibom State, one month after Governor Eno joined the All Progressives Congress (APC) as bad omen for workers in Akwa Ibom State.
The Civil Servants, who spoke through their leader who preferred to grant the interview on behalf of Civil Servants on condition of anonymity because of civil service rule, wondered why Governor Umo Eno should be insensitive to the plights of Civil Servants in Akwa Ibom by delaying workers’ salaries which they laboured for in the past one month.
“We are not happy that barely two years Governor Umo Eno, was elected by Akwa Ibom people, he jettisoned prioritizing the people’s welfare to pursue his personal political goals. A governor who does not give premium to timely payment of workers’ salaries in a State’s economy that is civil service drive has breached the pact of good governance which he was elected to uphold.”
“Equally, we have observed with dismay that Governor Umo Eno since his ‘alignment’ with the APC government now revel in throwing money around politicians in Akwa Ibom State, abandoning critical welfare matters as timely payment of workers salaries and pensions.” The civil servants said.
The civil servants who spoke through their leader lamented that Akwa Ibom State as a civil service State without any functioning industry should not delay civil servants’ salary which serves as the main stimulator of the state’s economy
“We want to remind Governor Eno that the only functioning industry in Akwa Ibom State, as an oil- rich State in Nigeria is civil service where workers are paid pittance at the end of every month. At present, Civil Service is the main stimulator of the State’s economy. We need that small entitlement that we laboured for to take care of our families.”
A source in the Ministry of Finance who confided in the Guide Newspaper during an investigation by our reporter to find out the reason for the delay in payment of workers’ salaries in the past one month told our reporter that Governor Umo Eno, has sacked the salary consultant in Akwa Ibom State and directed that payment of workers’ salaries and pensions should be processed through the Ministry of Science and Digital Economy in Akwa Ibom State which is led by Hon. Frank Ekpenyong as the serving Commissioner.
Speaking on the development, an Uyo based Financial Expert, Dr. Unwana Essien in a telephone interview with the Guide Newspaper described the decision of Akwa Ibom State government to shift the responsibility of processing workers’ salary voulchers from the Ministry of Finance to the Ministry of Science and Digital Economy as a hasty decision that has been taken without due consultations with relevant stakeholders.
According to him, “The responsibility of handling workers’ financial welfare is critical and technical. It should be handled by financial experts with wealth of financial and technical experience to ensure seamless payment of workers’ salaries.
Such responsibility should not be given to Ministry of Science and Digital Economy. Instead, I will suggest that the government of Akwa Ibom State should rather create a digital platform to be handled by a team of financial and digital experts within the Ministry of Finance rather than shifting such responsibility to Ministry of Science and Digital Economy.”
