The Akwa Ibom state government weekend dismissed the allegation of 15 percent deduction of workers’ salaries for tithe in the state as false and malicious.
The Commissioner for Information, Mr Aniekan Umanah, stated this in a statement in Uyo Sunday.
He said the report making the rounds is “a reckless fabrication, a deliberate falsehood, and a failed attempt to smear the image of the government, the governor and mislead the public.”
He said a mischievously circulated remittance form alongside a shaded letter purportedly from the Office of the Secretary to the State Government, which upon verification, was found to relate only to the remuneration of certain categories of personal aides to the governor, who are political appointees and reflecting statutory PAYE tax deductions .
“For the avoidance of doubt, there are various categories of aides to the governor whose gross monthly salaries and allowances range from N200,000 to N1,432,000, including Honorary Special Advisers, Senior Special Assistants, Special Assistants, Personal Assistants, and Project Supervisors,” Umanah stated.