Comrade Anestina Iweh.
Abasifreke Effiong
The Akwa Ibom State President of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees, NULGE, Comrade Anestina Iweh, has called on the state government to pay the 2020 and 2021 leave grant owed local government workers across the State before the end of this year.
Comrade Iweh in a chat with reporters said the call was necessary following the expiration of the timeline the state government agreed with the Union in March this year.
“NULGE is calling on the state government to pay 2020 and 2021 leave grant to local government workers across the State. The government had promised us that from June the arrears of 2020 and 2021 leave grant would be paid. June has passed, we are in August and by tomorrow August will be gone and its like nothing is done about it.”
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“The Union is demanding that the leave grant should be paid before the end of this year. We also know that it cannot be paid ones, so we are urging the government to start paying in tranches so that before the end of this year everyone would have been paid.”
She also called on the state government to pay the one month arrears of minimum wage owed the local government workers and demanded the commencement of payment of gratuities to local government workers who retired since 2012.
“Since 2012 up till date, gratuity has not been paid again except to a select few persons who are in very critical condition. Every other persons that would have gotten the money to have a meaningful life has not been paid, this is 10 years now”, she said.
Comrade Iweh lauded the state government for paying the outstanding of 2018 and 2019 leave grant to workers in the 19 local government council that were not paid and commended the Commissioner for local government and chieftaincy affairs, Mr. Frank Archibong, and ALGON Chairman, Mr. Iniobong Robson and the Chairman, local government service commission, Mr. Monday Eyo, for their efforts in ensuring payment of the 2018 and 2019 arrears to the affected workers and the consolidation of 2022 leave grants in their salaries.
This she said has put an end to arrears of leave grants in the local government
