By Chioma Onuegbu – Uyo
RETIRED Living and next of kin of late primary School teachers in Akwa Ibom State have expressed concern that the state government has been paying lip service to the payment of their gratuities and entitlement over the years.
The aggrieved retirees spoke ,Monday, when they embarked on another peaceful protest to the government House, along Wellington Bassey Way, Uyo to continue to press for their demands.
Addressing, newsmen after the protest, the Secretary Coalition of families; widow/Next of Kin and late primary School teachers Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Benjamin Benson, said they knew the announcement by government last Friday that it was going to commence the payment was not true.
Retired living and next of kin of late primary school teachers in Akwa Ibom State on Monday protested over the non-payment of their gratuities and pension by the state government.
They accused the state government of being insincere in their promise to pay the entitlement today as announced.
The Akwa Ibom State Government had on Friday in a statement promised to commence the payment of gratuities and pensions to the next of kin of the primary school teachers retirees on Monday which according to findings is yet to commence.
But the group, ‘Coalition of families, Widows/Next of Kin and late primary School teachers’ in early hours of Monday carried placards in a peaceful protest to the government house to press home their demands.
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The Chief of Staff to the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr. Ephraim Inyangeyen has described as strange the insinuations that Gov. Emmanuel Udom declared war on him.
Inyangeyen in reaction to allegations of a rift between him and the governor maintained he had a cordial relationship with his boss and wondered why persons would peddle such falsehood at the media.
A local tabloid had alleged that Inyangeyenwas fighting with the governor for allegedly supporting a 2023 governorship aspirant, Senator Bassey Albert, the current senator representing Uyo Senatorial district which is against his boss’s will.
Inyangeyen stressed that he would not do anything contrary to the interest of the governor.
The Akwa Ibom State Government has taken steps to push for increased registration of her citizens in the National Identification Number database currently ongoing in the country.
Acting on the meeting of the State Executive Council, the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Emmanuel Ekuwem set up a committee with Chief of Staff, Ephraim Inyangeyen as Chairman, while Honourable Commissioners for Science & Technology, Economic Development & Ibom Deep Seaport, Local Government & Chieftaincy Affairs, Women Affairs & Social Welfare, Information & Strategy, Manpower development, Attorney General/ Commissioner for Justice, Special Adviser, Political Affairs & Social Reorientation are members.
Other members are SSA Youths, Multilateral & Donor Agencies, SA-ICT, Chairman Association of Local Government Area of Nigeria-Akwa Ibom State, Chairman Nigerian Labour Congress-Akwa Ibom State.