Newly employed local government workers in Cross River State today staged a peaceful protest in Calabar over 11 months of unpaid salaries, calling on Governor Bassey Otu to approve their inclusion 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 heavy rainfall. Speaking on behalf of the workers, protest leader Uchi Julius said many of those recruited in 2025 had been performing their duties for nearly a year without receiving any salary, subjecting them to severe hardship and forcing many to rely on loans from relatives and friends to survive.

He noted that the administration had promised massive employment during its election campaign and urged the government to match that promise with the prompt payment of salaries.

— PUNCH