EXTRA: Cross River workers protest payment of May salary

Workers in Cross River state have protested the payment of May salary by Ben Ayade, governor of the state, on the first day of the month.

Ayade has consistently paid the May salary on the first day of the month in the last three years of his tenure.

But speaking to journalists, Clarkson Otu, state chairman of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), said workers and the leadership of labour were unhappy over the early payment of salary.

According to the labour leader, even though the government means well, labour leaders were not happy with the situation.

“As labour leaders we do not support early salaries payment. We have told the governor that it is not proper. April salary was paid only last week and on May 1st, he pays May salary,” he said.

“We are surprised he still paid early this month in spite of our protest. We will continue to engage him on that.”

Ben Ukpepi, chairman of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), also kicked against the early payment of salaries by the state government.

Ukpepi said labour would engage with the governor with a view to putting an end to early payments of salaries in the state.

The labour leaders complaint is coming at a time when their counterparts are complaining about being owed salaries for several months.

Some workers in Kogi state have accused Yahaya Bello, governor of the state, of owing 38 months salaries but the governor denied this, saying he is only owing for four months.

In spite of the state receiving one of the least revenue allocations from the federation account and being the third most indebted state, Ayade pays civil servant early.