*Udom Has Failed Woefully, Can’t Account for FAAC Receipts, Says APC
*PDP Reacts, Says PVC for Agric Program Was To Identify Eligible Persons…
From Akanimo kufre (The New Diplomat’s A/Ibom|C/River Correspondent)
The Akwa Ibom Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), said said it is giving its full support to the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) over a 14-day ultimatum given to Gov. Emmanuel Udom because of attendant hardship among workers in the state due to his government’s failure to pay workers’ emoluments.
The APC also lambasted Udom’s government, saying it was standing in the way of the prosperity of its workers with no form of stimulus to motivate its working masses.
The opposition party in the state said since the inception of Gov Udom’s leadership in 2015, the PDP led-government has been obsessed with nothing more than retarding the fortunes of civil servants through arbitrary and unnecessary slashing of their legitimate entitlements.
Recall that the NLC recently issued a 14-day ultimatum to the Udom administration over what it termed as unacceptable conduct and actions that have brought about massive poverty in Akwa Ibom state.
The NLC itemized the alleged sins of the Udom administration to include non-payment of workers emoluments.
While aligning with the workers, the Akwa Ibom state APC chapter spokesperson, Mr. Nkereuwem Enyongekere, APC stated it is backing the NLC on its 14-day ultimatum.
“APC, as a Party with a touch of human feeling, love and affection is heavily hard pressed at this point with the pitiable and sorrowful plights of the workers, therefore graciously backs the civil servants in their determination to reclaim and recover all that Udom’s government has stolen from them in the last five years.
“APC, in a saddening and weeping mood, solemnly draws the attention of international community and the entire world to the five years of Udom’s maladministration that has provoked a new climate akin with trappings of ancient slaves’ work environment typical of slave master overbearing, suppressive and domineering control on his employees. Stepping his bounds to the extent of unilaterally withholding the entitlements of retirees and arbitrary extorting workers’ salaries at will with impunity thus undermining the rights of Akwa Ibom State workers and therefore subjecting the workers to another form of slavery quite alien to the constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria and International Labour Charter.” Mr, Enyongekere further stated.
Some of the reasons NLC gave for its 14-day ultimatum include the “Payment of the 2020 leave grant to all Civil Servants; 2018- 2020 leave grant to workers in the Local Government Service; 2015, 2017- 2020 leave grant to Primary School Teachers; Immediate end to the use of ‘dubious and recalcitrant’ Salary Consultants to manage the State’s Civil Service payroll. There should be a reversal to qualified payroll officers within the service who are eminently qualified to do the same job.
Other demands include: “Clearance of the backlog of gratuities to retirees in the State as follows; Retirees of the State Civil service from April 2016 to the present; Retirees of the Local Government Service from 2012 to the present; Retired Primary School Teachers from 2010 to the present and the immediate payment of the December 2019 arrears of minimum wage to all Akwa lbom workers and the January 2020 Minimum Wage arrears already paid to other Civil Servants to Primary School Teachers” among others.
Reacting to the allegations, the Akwa Ibom State PDP publicity secretary, Mr. Borono Bassey said his party does not fancy engaging in the periodic mudslinging of the APC in the state.
“These are issues there have raised before and we have given them appropriate responses but they enjoy the attention we give to them. The truth is out there, Gov. Udom Emmanuel is taking result oriented efforts to make sure that the welfare of Akwa Ibom workers is given topmost priority, and budgetary provision is made and you cannot for instance across all sector and that’s what the governor is doing. The APC is a party that Akwa Ibom people have banished to a distant land so what they do is occasionally try to come out from that land of banishment.”
However, there have been allegations that despite being one of the richest states in terms of revenue and federal allocation, Akwa Ibomites have been reported to live in penury, largely due to wealth distribution along party lines and ethnic divisions.
Complains were reported in the state agricultural program, where prospective beneficiaries were required to fill out participation form with Permanent Voters Card (PVC) numbers.
But the PDP spokesman in the state, Mr. Bassey responded that such requirement of PVC is only to identify a person as a responsible citizen.
“Let me confirm something, excerpt you want to tell me that members of APC do not have PVC then I’ll be very sad to here that. PVC is not an introduction of Peoples Democratic Party. It is an instrument that someone is eligible to vote. If someone should be asking, it’s expected that you should be a responsible citizen of the country being able to show something that identifies you as a voter. PVCs are not produced by PDP.” Mr. Borono Bassey said.
Nevertheless, APC Akwa Ibom State feels extremely disgusted to notice that in spite of the increased monthly allocations and extra resources like Paris refunds, one billion COVID-19 relief funds, huge IGR, and oil companies supports, hunger is commonly felt by the vast majority of Akwa Ibom citizens.
