Ben Ayade’s May Day Alert Throw Workers into Jubilation

At a time when the states are running to the federal government to clear backlog of salaries, it’s a completely different story in Calabar, the Cross River state capital, as workers were thrown into wild jubilation with the announcement from the governor, Prof Ben Ayade that their salaries for May had been paid on the first day of the month.

According to reports from Vanguard, the May Day celebrations at the U.J. Esuene Stadium on Sunday almost became a pandemonium when stunned workers and labour leaders began to receive payment alert from their various banks.

Unable to contain the excitement, shouts of Alert! Alert! rent the stadium as the workers wildly sang the praises of the governor, whom before now had paid salaries between the 13th and 20th day of each month.

Prof Ben Ayade who is described as the ‘Best Labour Friendly Governor in Nigeria’, then declared that his administration will continue to uphold the dignity of workers in the state with adequate welfare and utmost conditions of service.

However, this raises the question about the wisdom of a blanket pay package across states as some are clearly more endowed than others, particularly as Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomole recently raised the minimum wage to N25,000 as part of the May Day celebrations while other states are seeking a downward review.