Workers in Akwa Ibom received their salary early despite the lockdown in the state. The payment of salaries before Friday, April 24 in the state sparked jubilation among Akwa Ibom workers. The state was among the first to pay its workers the new minimum wage salary with effect from December 2019. The Akwa Ibom state government may have become the first state in Nigeria to pay the April salary of all its workers despite the current coronavirus pandemic that has ground social and economic activities to a halt in Nigeria and beyond. The payment of salaries before Friday, April 24 in the state sparked jubilation among Akwa Ibom workers.The move is seen as an affirmation of Governor Udom Emmanuel’s vow to always make the welfare of workers his top priority, even in challenging economic circumstances. The state was among the first to pay its workers the new minimumwage salary with effect from December 2019.
A Grade Level 9 worker in one of the ministries in the state, Mrs Arit Akpan told reporters she was pleasantly surprised to see the salary alert.“May God bless our dear governor for his deep commitment to the welfare of the workers.”On assumption of office in 2015, the governor cleared the backlog of salary arrears of workers, up to ten years.
Governor Emmanuel had earlier assured Akwa Ibomites that his government was going to provide food items to the vulnerable across the state.Meanwhile, the Akwa Ibom state government has concluded modalities to embark on mass testing of its citizens for coronavirus. The decision is due to the spike in the number of confirmed cases in the state in recent times. Addressing newsmen recently, the chairman COVID-19 committee and secretary to the state government Dr Emmanuel Ekuwem noted that voluntary aggressive testing has become imperative in Akwa Ibom. The government had earlier procured modern medical equipment and facilities in preparation for the pandemic.
