Workers of the Cross River State Unified Local Government Service Commission on Monday staged a peaceful protest at the Governor’s Office in Calabar over nine months of unpaid salaries.
The workers, carrying placards and chanting slogans, appealed to Governor Bassey Otu to urgently intervene, describing the prolonged delay in salary payments as a major hardship that has left many struggling to meet basic needs, including paying school fees and feeding their families.
In a letter presented during the protest, the employees said they had continued reporting to work faithfully despite not being placed on the payroll since their employment.
They explained that the situation had caused severe financial strain, noting that some workers had left previous private jobs to accept the government positions, while others relocated from different areas to resume duty.
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According to the workers, those in the health sector continue to serve communities day and night despite facing difficulties such as transportation costs. Many, they said, now survive by borrowing money or relying on the support of colleagues and people around their workplaces.
The protesters stressed that their demonstration was not meant to confront the government but rather to seek help from the governor to ensure they are placed on the payroll and begin receiving their salaries.
Responding to the protesters, the Secretary to the State Government, Anthony Enoh, assured them that the state government was already working to resolve the issue.
He acknowledged their right to protest and revealed that the government had held several meetings to address concerns surrounding local government employment, recruitment, and payroll.
Enoh said a final meeting with the governor would take place on Thursday after his return from official engagements in Abuja.
He explained that the delay was partly due to the need to verify genuine employees and address administrative challenges that arose during the employment process.
According to him, the government is determined to ensure that only legitimately employed workers are placed on the payroll.
He urged the protesters to remain patient, assuring them that the matter would be resolved and that all qualified workers would eventually receive their salaries.
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