Cross River LG Workers Protest Over 11 Months Unpaid Salaries

By Missang AKPET

Hundreds of newly employed local government workers in Cross River State on Wednesday staged a peaceful protest in Calabar over 11 months of unpaid salaries, appealing to Governor Bassey Otu to approve their inclusion on the state payroll.

Despite heavy rain, the workers marched through major streets to the Governor’s Office carrying placards demanding to be patrolled.

Uchi Julius who spoke on behalf of the protesters said most of those employed in 2025 had resumed duty but had not been paid for nearly a year.

“The delay has caused severe hardship, some of us can barely feed our families. Some even died during the government’s verification process". 

“We are not begging for free money. We are asking for what we have worked for. We are hungry. We have lost more than six colleagues who will never return Julius said.

Responding, Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Anthony Owan Enoh, acknowledged their plight.

He said a panel of inquiry set up after the last protest had submitted its report and a white paper had been prepared.

“We are now at the implementation stage. I assure you that within two weeks, all of you will smile. If you have waited almost a year, two weeks is not too long,” Enoh told the protesters.

The workers said they depend mostly on loans from family and friends to survive while awaiting payment.