Newly employed local government workers in Cross River State on Wednesday staged a peaceful protest in Calabar, demanding payment of 11 months’ salary arrears and their inclusion on the state payroll.
The workers, who said they were employed in 2025, claimed they had worked for almost a year without receiving salaries, resulting in severe financial hardship for themselves and their families.
The protesters, drawn from several local government areas, marched through major streets in Calabar to the Governor’s Office despite heavy rainfall.
They carried placards with messages including “We are suffering,” “Payroll us” and “We need our salaries,” as they called on Governor Bassey Otu to intervene and approve their inclusion on the payroll.
Speaking on behalf of the protesters, Uchi Julius said the affected workers had resumed duty and continued performing their responsibilities despite not receiving salaries.
“The prolonged delay has really subjected many workers to severe hardship. Some of us are now struggling to feed our families. Some of us have died during the verification process initiated by the government,” Julius said.
He said many of the workers had been forced to depend on loans from relatives and friends to survive.
“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.
“We are hungry. We are dying. We have lost more than six colleagues. They can never return,” he said.
Another protester, Happiness Augustine, said she had remained unpaid since her employment in 2025 despite consistently reporting for duty.
“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 appealed to the governor to intervene and resolve what she described as administrative challenges delaying the workers’ inclusion on the payroll.
“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 also alleged that one of the affected workers died in a road accident while travelling for a government screening exercise conducted after an earlier protest over the salary issue.
Responding to the protesters, the Secretary to the Cross River State Government, Anthony Enoh, acknowledged their grievances and said the government had almost concluded the processes required to address the matter.
Enoh said the state government had constituted a panel of inquiry following the workers’ previous protest and that the panel had submitted its report.
He added that a white paper containing recommendations on the next steps had also been prepared and that the government was now at the implementation stage.
“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.
The Secretary to the State Government appealed to the workers to remain patient, assuring them that the administration would take action 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,” he said.
