Tag Archives: CROSS RIVERS

I Did Not Inherit An Empty Treasury- C’River Governor

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Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State yesterday said that he did not inherit empty treasury from the immediate past administration in the state as is being speculated in some quarters.

Ayade said this in Calabar while briefing stakeholders, including the media, on his development agenda for the state.
“I did not inherit empty treasury but a great potential from my predecessor,” he said.
The governor said that as part of efforts to tap the abundant resources in the state, his administration was exploring the option of setting up state mining corporation.
He stated that through the mining corporation, the state would take advantage of the vast mineral resource and establish its own cement factory and quarry company.
“This will help us to source the needed raw materials for construction of the proposed Calabar Seaport and 240-kilometre highway from Calabar to Obudu. It will reduce the cost of the projects and make it realizable,” he said.
Ayade said his administration was working on a number of options to boost the revenue generation capacity of the state. He condemned the current system where consultants are used to collect revenue for the state, describing it as “crude and unacceptable in modern society.”
“I believe we can generate revenue through wealth creation for the citizens,” he said.
Ayade also said that the Obudu Mountain Resort needed to be restructured to make it more functional to attract tourists.

(NAN)

Unpaid Salaries: Workers Declare Indefinite Strike In C/River

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The Joint Action Committee of the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress in Cross River has declared an indefinite strike by civil servants in the state over unpaid salaries.

In a release by the Chairman of JAC, Ndoma Akpet, labour said the strike, which commenced on Tuesday, became inevitable following the inability of the outgoing administration to honour its earlier promise to pay the arrears.

“In spite of assurances by the government during the May Day celebration that arrears of salaries will be paid before expiration of the present administration, the government has failed (to fulfil) the promise.

“We, workers, under the employ of the Cross River Government can no longer watch as our lives and destinies are being toyed with and destroyed by an insensitive administration.

“Right now our children are out of school due to inability to pay school fees.

“Also a good number of us are dying because of inability to settle medical bills while starvation is everywhere.

“We are, therefore, calling on all workers under the employ of the state government to stay at home as from Tuesday May 26, 2015 until you hear from us”, it said.

Meanwhile, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Christian Eta, has said the outgoing administration is committed to paying workers’ salaries before leaving office.

“We are surprised that they still embarked on the strike despite the commitment of the government to pay them April and May salaries before May 29”, he said.

(NAN)