Newly employed local government workers in Cross River State on Wednesday staged a peaceful protest in Calabar, the state capital, 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 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 duty but had yet to receive salaries despite working for almost a year.
He said, “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 stated that the majority of the workers now depend on loans from family members 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,” Julius said.
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 regardless 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 Enoh, acknowledged their concerns and assured them that the government was finalising the process required to address the matter.
“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.
Cc: Punch