By Uko Okon
The Akwa Ibom Government has dismissed the allegation of 15 percent deduction of workers’ salaries for tithe in the state as false and malicious.
The Commissioner for Information, Mr Aniekan Umanah disclosed this in a statement in Uyo on Sunday.
According to him, the report making the round is “a reckless fabrication, a deliberate falsehood, and a failed attempt to smear the image of the government, the Governor and mislead the public.”
He said a mischievously circulated remittance form alongside a shaded letter purportedly from the Office of the Secretary to the State Government, which upon verification, was found to relate only to the remuneration of certain categories of personal aides to the Governor, who are political appointees and reflecting statutory PAYE tax deductions .
“For the avoidance of doubt, there are various categories of aides to the Governor whose gross monthly salaries and allowances range from ₦200,000 to ₦1,432,000, including Honorary Special Advisers, Senior Special Assistants, Special Assistants, Personal Assistants, and Project Supervisors,” Umanah explained.
He further noted that in line with Governor Umo Eno’s recent statement during a Town Square meeting in Ikono/Ini Federal Constituency, a full Personal Assistant to the Governor earns not less than one million naira in salary and allowances monthly.
Clarifying the deductions reflected in the alleged credit alert, the Commissioner stressed that they were statutory tax obligations, not tithes.
“Every worker in Akwa Ibom State, whether an appointee or a civil servant, pays taxes. Similarly, private sector workers also remit their PAYE taxes to the State Internal Revenue Service (AKIRS). One wonders why the routine payment of tax, which is a constitutional responsibility of every citizen, is now being mischievously twisted to mean tithes. Tithes to who, and for what, if we may ask?” Umanah queried.
The Government, he added, considers the Sahara Reporters publication as “mischievous, irresponsible, and ill-motivated,” and disclosed that the matter is already under investigation with appropriate steps underway to hold those behind the report accountable.
Umanah urged members of the public to disregard the story in its entirety, reassuring that Governor Umo Eno’s administration remains committed to transparency, accountability, and the welfare of all workers.
He also cautioned Sahara Reporters and other media organizations against peddling unverified stories, warning that the State Government will not hesitate to employ every legal measure available against purveyors of fake news.
