* After NLC strike crippled State
Apparently bowing to pressure, Abia State governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, has directed the immediate payment of workers’ salaries four days after the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) commenced an indefinite strike.
The NLC, on Monday, directed its members to proceed on indefinite strike after deliberating on the plethora of problems that workers and pensioners are facing in the State.
But the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mr. Chris Ezem, announced through a statement on Friday, that despite the current challenges confronting the government, the governor has directed the office of the Accountant General to commence payment of salaries to ministries and parastatals from today, May 12, 2023.
According to the statement, the protracted court order freezing the various accounts of the State government affected the payment of salaries for the months of March and April 2023.
Ezem noted that no core ministry or civil servant was owed salaries before now, adding that salaries of local government staff are also up to date, except for the inherited five months arrears out of which it had paid three months.
The government has, however, directed the local government authorities to commence immediate payment of salaries of health workers across the 17 LGAs.
He, therefore, appealed to the affected staff to immediately resume work at their offices, and ensure resumption of activities in all ministries and the office of the Accountant General for implementation of the directive.
Meanwhile, the United Abia Artistes and Patriots (UAAP) had, last month, urged Ikpeazu to pay both the civil servants and pensioners their already earned wages before leaving office on May 29.
The group made the appeal partly to avoid a carryover of the accumulated wage burden to the new government post-May 29, 2023.