Thursday, July 30, 2026 - 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 rain, displaying placards with inscriptions, ‘We are
suffering,’ ‘Payroll us,’ and ‘We need our salaries.’
Speaking on Wednesday on behalf of the workers, one of the
workers, 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 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 majority of them are now depending on
borrowing from families and friends to live.
“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.
Another protester, Happiness Augustine, said, “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.”
Augustine said the delay had left many workers in distress,
adding that they wanted the governor to intervene irrespective of any
administrative issues delaying the payroll process.
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. You will see
what the government is going to do in your favour,” the SSG said.
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