Pay our 11 Years Gratuity, Leave Grant – NULGE Cries out to Akwa Ibom Government

By Ekemini Simon

The Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Akwa Ibom State Chapter has called on the Government of Akwa Ibom State to pay the leave grant, gratuity and minimum wage arrears owed local government workers in Akwa Ibom State.

The Government of Akwa Ibom State is owing local government workers gratuity from 2012 to date, leave grant of 2020 and 2021 and one month minimum wage arrears.

The call to clear the outstanding entitlements was made on Tuesday by the President of NULGE, Akwa Ibom State Chapter, Comrade Anestina Iweh during an interview with TheMail newspaper in reaction to the recent surge in July allocation shared by the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) days ago.

FAAC had recently shared a total of N954.085 billion to federal government, states and local governments even as N55.515 billion was shared to the relevant States as 13% derivation revenue.

According to NULGE State President, since FAAC allocation has improved significantly, it is only wise and humane that part of the money be used to clear the arrears of entitlement owed local government workers in the State.

Comrade Iweh who raised concerns over the fact that the State Government has reneged on the agreement reached with NULGE after the March 2022 ultimatum said the State Government does not have any excuse not to pay their entitlements.

She recounted that the State Government only paid 2019 leave grants to the remaining local government in April with a promise to pay that of 2020 by the end of June. 

“We were told that it will continue in June but we have not seen it. We only hear excuses that allocation is not much and that there are several projects to be handled. We have only a few months until the end of the year. We are asking that now that allocation has improved, our entitlements should be paid.”.