Efio-Ita Nyok|2 May 2016|7:47am
In reaction to Governor Ben Ayade's payment of May salaries of Cross River State Civil Servants at the state level which is supposed to be paid normally at the end of the month, a former Councillor representing Ward 5 in Calabar South Local Government Legislative Council, Hon. Anthony Duke, has taken to his social media account to cry out to the Executive Governor of Cross River State, Sen. Prof. Ben Ayade, to pay former politicians their severance packages. In his words, 'I would want to use this medium to appeal to my amiable governor to please remember the plight of politicians, we have not been recognised especially the past local government administration as we are yet to be paid our severance'.
Earlier in his post, the former law maker rationalised how former governor, Donald Duke, arrived at paying workers' salaries on every 27th of the month. According to Hon. Duke, 'in the first tenure of Donald Duke's administration precisely 2001 he was faced with the difficulty of salary payment & you could see the disappointment on his face & his attitude for those who are close to him know what i mean. December came knocking & the yuletide drew closest yet there was no funds, he combed the whole coffers to see if he could pay one out of the three months wages owed the civil servants. Eventually he was able to do two out of the the three months before Christmas & paid the third before the new year. After that experience, that was the last time civil servants were faced with indebtedness in salary payment as modalities were made to pay up latest 27th of every month & the month of december was declared work free for civil servants so they participate actively in the 32 days christmas festival'.
Duke further observed that Governor Ayade took of from where Gov. Duke left off: 'The Ayade led administration got wind of the plight of civil servants when he was aspiring for the governorship of the state & must have made up his mind that during his tenure civil servants must not suffer hence his risk of ensuring that labourers are worthy of their wages irrespective of the lean resources which the state is faced with', Duke explained. Implying that between Governor Duke and Governor Ayade, the Liyel Imoke 2007-2015 gap was a set back to the tradition Gov. Duke handed over to Gov. Imoke.
Hon. Duke proceeded to charge civil servants to take their work seriously especially after enjoying this seemingly unprecedented gesture from the Governor Ben Ayade's state administration.
Efio-Ita Nyok
Is a Blogger & the Editor of Negroid Haven
