Thousands of aggrieved local government workers in Cross River State on Tuesday brought activity to a standstill at the Federal Secretariat in Calabar, rejecting the state government’s claim that it has reinstated 3,000 of them and calling the announcement “a huge hoax.”
The protesters, who also stormed the Local Government Service Commission office to press home their demands, said they have gone months without salaries despite working in councils, health centres and revenue units across the state.
Many, they said, are now sick and struggling to survive.
Their anger followed a recent press release by Governor Bassey Otu, issued through his Chief Press Secretary, claiming that 3,000 persons had been reabsorbed and would be placed on the payroll.
Speaking with journalists during the protest at the Federal Secretariat in calabar, the Leader of the group, Mr Julius Uchi, explained that the 3000 Local government workers the government claimed had been reabsorbed were false and unfounded.
“We were not among the people they claimed had been reabsorbed; that information is totally false,” said Uchi
According to Uchi, who was employed in 2025 and posted to the Youth and Sports Department of Obudu Local Government Council, they didn’t receive any salary; hence, they took to the streets again.
“We never saw any official publication from government. We only saw it on social media, based on a press release from the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Linus Obogo,” he said.
Uben said the workers had protested repeatedly, first leading to the setting up of a commission, then a panel of inquiry, before government “reluctantly” published a notice nullifying the entire recruitment process.
“When the governor talked about reinstatement, we didn’t understand, because nobody was removed from the payroll in the first place. Salaries have been paid to others, but we have received nothing,” he said.
He insisted the workers were duly recruited, stressing that they were screened, had their documents verified, cleared by the council and the Commission, and later captured by the Auditor-General before deployment.
“We went through the same process others went through, and they were placed on the payroll. Some of us even started working before those people,” he said.
According to him, the workers have continued to serve. “Some of us are in health centres, some in revenue, generating money for the state government.
“None of us passed through the back door; none of us paid a kobo to anyone; we were not illegally employed; the government has enjoyed our services. We want our pay,” he said.
Receiving the protesters at his office, the Public Complaints Federal Commissioner for Cross River State, Dr Owa Egbara, commended their orderliness and said he had studied their petition.
“Employment is a binding contract. If someone has started work and is cut short midway, the government, as employer, must make restitution. It is against the rules to employ a person and then terminate the engagement midway,” Egbara said.
He warned that failure to follow due process could lead to litigation.
“Once it gets to litigation, the Ombudsman will stand for the public,” he said.
Egbara disclosed that the Ombudsman would write to the Head of Service and the Chairman of the Local Government Service Commission to establish the true position of the affected workers.
“We have heard that some were treated as employed while others were abandoned. We need to know the reality and the basis on which this was done,” he said.
