Cross River Government Withold Salaries Of New Law Officers As Affected Lawyers Lament Hardship

Reports available to CrossRiverWatch have revealed that the Governor of Cross River State, Senator Ben Ayade has indefinitely suspended the pay rolling/ payment of salaries to 40 newly employed law officers at the Ministry of Justice, Calabar thereby subjecting the affected lawyers to miserable hardship.
This was contained in a letter dated 24th March, 2017 with reference number SSG/GSA/S/26/V.XII/543 and titled “Withholding of the Payment of Newly Employed Lawyers” emanating from the Governor through the Secretary to the State Government and addressed to the Attorney-General/Commissioner for Justice, Cross River State.
The letter however run contrary to an earlier letter dated 25th November, 2016 and entitled “Approval for the Documentation and Pay Rolling of Newly Appointed Law Officers into the Ministry of Justice”, wherein the Governor through his Deputy, approved the pay rolling and payment of the new law officers on 1st December, 2016.
It will be recalled that sometime in June, 2016 CrossRiverWatch reported on how over 150 lawyers sought employment as law officers in the Ministry of Justice, Cross River State.
This followed an earlier approval for the employment of new law officers to boost the capacity and workforce of the Ministry of Justice, by Governor Ben Ayade on 26th May, 2016 during the commissioning of the ultra modern library complex at the Ministry of Justice, Calabar.