The Head of Civil Service, Akwa Ibom State, Mrs. Ekereobong Akpan, has denied the allegation by Senator Godswill Akpabio that the state government deducts certain amount (1300) from workers’ salaries to host its events.
She insisted that there was no iota of truth in such claim.
The Head of Service, who stated this while addressing newsmen in her office on Tuesday, added that government does not only pay complete salaries to workers, but does so on time.
Akpan described such claim credited to the former senate minority leader as a desperate ploy by the opposition to taint the administration of Governor Udom Emmanuel.
She explained that it was impossible for any kobo to be deducted from the salary of civil servants without the knowledge and agreement of the labour unions, saying, “You don’t take one naira from workers without the labour union agreeing; they would have been here in protest if such stories were to be true.”
She described Governor Udom Emmanuel as a problem solver who is not moved by cheap political propaganda but focused on the welfare of civil servants.
“Tell our politicians that for every careless word they utter, they will give account. This is as recorded in the Holy Bible.”
She made reference to the cleared 10 years backlog of salaries which she said the previous administration had long abandoned, adding that currently the 7.5% deductions for contributory pension scheme will be paid by the end of the week.
Mrs. Akpan said the deductions took place between February 2005 and December 2013, and the Governor has decided to intervene by refunding the money to the affected workers.
In corroboration, the state Chairman of the Trade Union Congress, TUC, Comrade Akamba Awah, said, “Anybody who is coming to say that the state government is deducting money from the salaries of workers is telling lies from the pit of hell.
“In my thirty years in service, we have always made a particular contribution to government, which is development levy, and that has not changed.”
Comrade Awah said that labour was not ready to be dragged into unnecessary political blackmail by political jobbers, and will continue to support the government of Mr. Udom Emmanuel which has shown great interest in the welfare.
Recall that the former Senate minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio, during the Campaign Church service by the APC in Akwa Ibom State, Sunday alleged that the “state government is involved in the act of deducting a N1,300 from the salary of civil servants to host government programmes.”
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