Cross River Govt. Debunks Report On Delay in Implementation Of N70,000 Minimum Wage

Cross River State Government has debunked claims that it is among the states yet to implement the N70,000 minimum wage, describing the recent media report to that effect as “false, and a gross misrepresentation of facts.”This was revealed in a statement issued on Monday, by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Nsa Gill, who expressed dismay that the misleading report was published in one of the reputable national dailies, The Punch Newspaper, without proper verification.“Our attention has been drawn to a misleading report in The Punch and some other media platforms, falsely listing Cross River among states that are yet to implement the new N70,000 minimum wage for workers, this report is entirely false.” Gill said.He emphasized that Governor Prince Bassey Edet Otu’s administration remains “one of the first in the country” to fully implement the new wage structure as early as December 2024 and that It cuts across the local and state level.“The implementation cut across both the state and local government services, with full consequential adjustments, and workers are already benefiting from the new wage structure,” he noted.Gill frowning at the report noted that such a misleading publication is very sensitive and it would be appropriate for the same news platforms to publish the verified position of the Cross River State government noting that the facts clearly stated by the state government can be easily verified by stakeholders such as the State Chairmen of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE).“Governor Bassey Otu’s administration remains fully committed to the welfare and upliftment of workers in Cross River State, Salaries have continued to be paid regularly and without fail,” he added. He therefore urged the public to disregard the misleading report, assuring Cross Riverians and Nigerians that the state government remains focused on prioritizing the well-being of its workforce and as well as it’s residents. This serve as a call for proper verification of facts and authentication especially to media practitioners before publication as the media serves as a mirror to the society at large particularly as it concerns the dissemination of information.