By Cletus Asuquo
Newly employed local government workers in Cross River State have staged a peaceful protest in Calabar over 11 months of unpaid salaries, urging Governor Bassey Otu to approve their enrolment on the state payroll.
The protesters, drawn from various local government areas, marched through major streets of the state capital to the Governor’s Office despite a heavy downpour, carrying placards with inscriptions such as, “We are suffering,” “Payroll us,” and “We need our salaries.”
Speaking on behalf of the workers, the protest leader, Uchi Julius, said many of those employed in 2025 had resumed duties but had yet to receive salaries despite working for almost a year.
He said the prolonged delay had subjected many workers to severe hardship, with some struggling to feed their families, while others had reportedly died during the verification process initiated by the government.
“We are hungry. We are dying. We have lost more than six colleagues. They can never return,” Julius said.
He added, “One of the campaign promises was massive employment. Today, the 2,000 health workers said to have been employed are here, yet many of us have not been paid. We didn’t come here to beg for money; we came to ask for what we have worked for.”
Speaking with our correspondent, one of the protesters, Happiness Augustine, said she was employed in 2025 but had yet to receive any salary after nearly a year of service.
“I was employed in 2025. Up till now, I have not been paid. It is one year in my office and I have not received any salary. We are begging Governor Bassey Otu to have mercy on us and pay us because we have been diligent in our duties,” she said.
Augustine said the delay had left many workers in distress, adding that they were pleading with the governor to intervene irrespective of any administrative issues delaying the payroll process.
“We are on our knees begging him to pay us. We have families to take care of and we have continued working without salaries,” she added.
She further disclosed that one of their colleagues died in a road accident while travelling for the screening exercise set up by the state government following an earlier protest.
“We came for a protest before and a panel was set up. During the screening process, one of our colleagues had an accident on his way and died. We are still waiting for the governor to say something. We are pleading with him to help us,” Augustine said.
Responding to the protesters, the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Anthony Owan Enoh, acknowledged their concerns and assured them that the government was finalising the process required to address the matter.
According to him, following an earlier protest, the state government constituted a panel of inquiry, which had submitted its report, while a white paper recommending the next line of action had also been prepared.
“When you came here last time, I reported your concerns to the governor and a panel of inquiry was set up. That panel has submitted its report and we are now at the implementation stage,” Enoh said.
He appealed to the workers to remain patient, assuring them that the government would act soon.
“I assure you that within two weeks, all of you will smile. If you have waited for almost a year, two weeks is not too long. Before you come back here again, you will see what the government is going to do in your favour,” the SSG said.
READ ALSO: “Cross River won’t be blackmailed over disputed LG recruitment” — Commission
The Chairman of the Cross River State Local Government Service Commission, Hon. Barr. Eyo Nsa Ekpo, in a statement issued Thursday in reaction to the protest maintained that the administration of Governor Otu remained committed to transparency and the rule of law, stressing that government would not validate appointments that did not receive lawful approval.
According to him, the individuals who staged the protest were victims of an organised employment syndicate that allegedly exploited job seekers by issuing fake appointment letters in exchange for huge sums of money.
He explained that investigations revealed that after approval was granted for the recruitment of over 700 personnel into the Local Government Service, some unscrupulous persons allegedly reproduced employment documents and sold them to unsuspecting members of the public without the knowledge or authorisation of the state government.
“The Cross River State Government therefore appeals to members of the public, particularly those affected, to remain calm and allow the government to conclude the process already initiated. The administration will not succumb to pressure or blackmail to take decisions that would compromise due process or the long-term interest of the state,” Ekpo said.
The Commission Chairman further stated that the state government was not owing salaries to any lawfully employed local government worker, insisting that all legitimate employees who were duly recruited and captured on the government payroll were receiving their salaries as and when due.
“The panel’s findings confirmed that there was no executive approval for the purported recruitments under which the protesters claim employment,” he stated.
Ekpo said government sympathised with citizens who fell victim to the alleged employment scam but noted that it could not assume responsibility for appointments that were never authorised or issued through the lawful recruitment process.
WATCH VIDEO OF THE PROTEST BELOW
