The Deputy Governor of Cross River State, Peter Odey, has clarified that the current delay in paying January 2024 salaries to all state employees is due to an ongoing thorough examination of the workforce in the state civil service.
In September 2023, during his press briefing marking his first 100 days in office, Governor Bassey Otu revealed a significant wage bill despite a considerable number of retirements from the service.
Upon appointing a new Head of Service, Innocent Eteng, a few weeks later, the Governor tasked him with conducting a comprehensive review of the staff numbers and enhancing the state civil service to align with global standards.
Consequently, the state government initiated a comprehensive verification exercise, requiring civil servants to appear in person to complete forms.
However, on Thursday, a group of workers gathered at the office of the Secretary to the State Government, Prof Anthony Owan-Enoh, to protest the delay in receiving their January 2024 salaries.
In response, the Deputy Governor explained that substantial progress has been made in the staff audit and assured that the findings will be made public soon.
Odey dismissed the protest, noting that over 80% of workers in the state have already received their January 2024 salaries. He attributed the apparent delay to the meticulous effort to identify duplicate entries following the reconciliation of cleared names from relevant pay-rolling offices with the nominal roll.
He urged the labor force to perceive this exercise as the initial challenges on the path to a promising future for the state. Odey reiterated the administration’s commitment to its “People First Agenda,” emphasizing the need for sacrifices and support from all segments of the state for a transparent and accountable system.
Recognizing the challenging times, he assured that those whose salaries have been genuinely delayed will be compensated without further delay.