11-Month Salary Delay Sparks Protest As Cross River LG Workers Demand Pay

CROSS RIVER, CALABAR – After working for nearly a year without pay, newly employed local government workers in Cross River State on Wednesday staged a peaceful protest in Calabar, lamenting prolonged hardship, alleging the loss of colleagues during the verification process, and demanding immediate enrolment on the state payroll.

The workers, drawn from different local government areas, marched through major streets of the state capital to the Governor’s Office despite a heavy downpour, carrying placards bearing inscriptions such as “We are suffering,” “Payroll us,” and “We need our salaries.”

Speaking on behalf of the protesters, Uchi Julius said many of the workers recruited in 2025 had remained unpaid after 11 months of service, leaving them unable to meet basic family responsibilities.

“We are hungry. We are dying. We have lost more than six colleagues. They can never return,” Julius said

He said the workers were not seeking charity but demanding payment for work already done, recalling that employment opportunities formed part of the government’s campaign promises.

“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,” he added.

Another protester, Happiness Augustine, said she had reported for duty after her employment in 2025 but had not received any salary despite remaining at her post for almost one year.

“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 prolonged delay had pushed many workers into severe hardship, adding that they had continued to discharge their responsibilities despite receiving no wages.

She further alleged that one of their colleagues died in a road accident while travelling for a government verification exercise initiated after an earlier protest, saying the workers were still awaiting action from the state government.

Responding to the protesters, the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Anthony Owan Enoh, acknowledged their concerns and said the government had completed the necessary processes following an earlier protest.

According to him, the panel of inquiry set up by the state government had submitted its report, while a white paper recommending the next course of action had already been prepared for implementation.

“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 SSG appealed to the workers to remain calm, assuring them that the government would resolve the matter 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.