Hundreds of civil servants and magistrates employed by the Cross River government but not captured in its payroll since 2017, have given Governor Ben Ayade a seven-day ultimatum to pay up or face a mass protest.
Addressing newsmen in Calabar, Wednesday, leader of the group, Comrade David Iya-nya, said after they had protested few months ago over the matter, governor Ayade “ordered for an immediate verification exercise for all protesting civil servants.”
According to Comrade Iya-nya, “The verification exercise, which commenced on the 2nd of October 2020, lasted for 9 days which got all of us the affected staff verified.
“After the exercise, our 2015 colleagues got their October salaries with a promised that the 2017/2018 category as well as the Magistrates will access their salaries from November.
“All efforts made to know why we were not paid November salaries as promised us has fallen on deaf ears with no effort by government negotiating team to brief us on the latest development in other to assuage our pains and worries as to why we weren’t paid November salary.
“It’s rather sad and disturbing that a government will employ us, after following due process and appointment letters issued, but without salaries for upward 20 to 36 months, and yet we were going to work daily.
“It is predicated on the above premise that we issue these seven days ultimatum to the state government to either have our names added into the state payroll to commence receipt of December salaries or risk mass protest.”
