The salaries of all political office holders in Akwa Ibom state have been slashed by 20 per cent on the directive of the Governor of the state, Udom Emmanuel as prices of crude oil continue to dwindle.
The Secretary to the State Government, Dr Emmanuel Ekuwem,in a statement said the development became imperative due to fact that the Governor was confronted with an urgent need to take the decision on either of two painful options.
One of these painful options, he added,was either to continue to pay the current salaries for a while and end up being totally unable to pay same subsequently.
The other, the secretary further explained, was to spread the discomfort (20% cut), sustainably over time, pending the return of crude oil price to normalcy in the global market.
Ekuwem, however, assured that the salary slash was temporary, adding that full payment of salaries would commence “when the economy becomes better.”
