By Johnbosco Agbakwuru

Calabar-Civil and public servants on the employment of Cross River State government may not enjoy the recently approved minimum wage unless the Federal Government reviews the revenue sharing formula, Mr. Ededem Edem, Special Adviser to Governor Liyel Imoke on Labour and Productivity, has said.

Governor Imoke had, in an interview recently, said that the state would pay the minimum wage but would first negotiate with the workers.

But going by the poor financial position of the state, a government source said it was not certain whether the state workers would join workers in other states to enjoy the new wage, especially as the state has no money to continue most of its projects after the ceding of its 76 oil wells to Akwa Ibom State.

Mr. Edem, who briefed newsmen on the activities of his ministry, insisted that except the revenue formula was adjusted and the conditions as regards levels and steps clarified, it would be difficult for any state to pay the new wage.

His position was corroborated by the state Commissioner for Finance Mr. Etim Caiaphas, who argued that the state’s finances had not improved significantly to carry the huge burden as the state only receives about N2 billion from the Federation Account and pays over N1.2 billion to workers alone under the old salary.