Hundreds of newly employed health workers in Cross River State on Wednesday staged a peaceful protest in Calabar over 11 months of unpaid salaries.
The workers, recruited by local government councils in 2025, marched through major streets despite heavy rainfall to the Governor’s Office, demanding immediate enrolment on the state payroll.
Carrying placards with inscriptions such as “We are suffering,” “Payroll us,” and “We need our salaries,” the protesters said they had continued working without receiving any salary since their employment.
Speaking on behalf of the group, protest leader Uchi Julius said the prolonged delay had pushed many workers into severe financial hardship.
He said several affected workers now depend on loans from relatives and friends to survive, while some reportedly died during the government’s verification exercise.
Julius noted that the administration had promised massive job creation during its campaign but had yet to pay many of the 2,000 health workers reportedly employed.
“We are not begging for money. We are only asking to be paid for the work we have done,” he said.
One of the protesters, Happiness Augustine, said she had worked for nearly a year without receiving a salary despite performing her duties diligently.
She appealed to Governor Bassey Otu to urgently approve their payroll enrolment, saying many workers were struggling to care for their families.
Augustine also claimed that one of their colleagues died in a road accident while travelling for a government-organised screening exercise after an earlier protest.
Responding to the protesters, the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Anthony Enoh, acknowledged their concerns and said the government had already set up a panel following a previous demonstration.
According to him, the panel had completed its assignment and submitted its report, with implementation already underway.
Enoh appealed for patience and assured the workers that the government would address the issue within two weeks.
He expressed confidence that the affected workers would soon receive positive news, urging them to allow the government to complete the process.
