By Onwa Ekor, Calabar
Cross River governor, Prince Bassey Otu, has called on the Joint public service negotiation and implementation committee of the new national minimum wage in the state, to submit its report within four weeks.
The governor gave the charge, Monday, during the inauguration of the committee at the Glass House temporary office of the deputy governor in Calabar, the Cross River capital.
Otu who was represented by the deputy governor, Rt. Hon. Peter Odey, assured that as soon as the report is received, he would immediately start the implementation of whatever is agreed by the committee.
“We would plead that you submit your report before the governor within four weeks time and we will immediately start the implementation of what has been agreed.
“The administration of Prince Bassey Otu is christened ‘People First,’ so, the people will always come first and you will agree with me that he has been the most labour friendly governor that we have in Nigeria and this would be reflected on the negotiation that you are going to see and the result of it is what all CrossRiverians would be happy that we indeed did the right thing as a state.
“We are going to be relying on this committee to guide us, that is why we have our Accountant General here to open the books so that we see what we have as a state, because government is willing and ready to meet with the yearnings of the people of Cross River,” Otu explained.
He implored the team to come up with a minimum wage that would serve the people of the state and in line with other states, while taking into cognizance the peculiarity of the state.
On his part, Chairman, Cross River chapter of Nigeria Labour Congress, Comrade Gregory Olayi, applauded the governor for inaugurating the committee, a development he said, has put in check some of the issues bothering the union.
Olayi appealed to the governor to reconsider the time frame offered the committee as the national body had already issued directives for states that have not complied with the new minimum wage, to commence strike.
Responding, the State Head of Service and chairman of the committee, Dr. Innocent Eteng, assured that his team would do its job painstakingly and in the interest of workers and state at large.
“For us, it is very auspicious, we can assure you that we are going to do our job painstakingly and assiduously in the interest of Cross River State.
“We will discuss with labour very amicably to take into cognizance the circumstances of our peculiar situation as well as consider the interest of workers in the state,” Eteng remarked.
Earlier, the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Anthony Owan-Enoh, intimated that the event spells a roadmap for the beginning of a new dawn of good relationship between labour and government.
Members of the Eteng- led committee include, Special Adviser, labour and productivity; Permanent Secretaries of Ministries of Finance, Local Government Service Commission, Budget, Justice as well as office of the Head of Service and SSG/GAO.
Others are: Accountant General of the State, Chairmen of NLC and TUC in the state, State President of NULGE, Chairman joint service negotiating council; Chairman, Medical and health workers Union; Chairman, Parliamentary Staff Union; Secretary, Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria; while the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Establishment is to serve as the committee Secretary.
