Civil servants employed by the local government in Cross River state blocked multiple entrances of the New state secretariat along the Muritala Mohammed Highway in Calabar on Wednesday in protest of their four-year salary not being paid.
Civil servants from the state’s 18 local government areas (LGAs) descended on the Murtala Mohammed Highway and blocked all the gates leading to the state’s new secretariat.
Workers protested with a variety of banners and posters that said, “Three Years without salary, who did we offend?, “We go to work every day. The injustice is too much”, “Every laborer deserves his wages. Governor Ayade please pay us a salary,” among other things.
Many of them (protesters) came out to protest with their children, threatening to take the rallies to the governor’s office in Calabar, according to Vanguard.
Com. David Iyanya, a spokesperson for the protesting civil servants, stated that they have been suffering since 2015 because they have been owed since then.
“We are civil servants cut across the 18 LGAs in Cross River State. We have been owed salaries for four years dating back to 2015 and 2018, it is very sad that for four years, we have stayed without salaries, yet we come to work every day.
“The Head of Civil Service told us that we would be paid this August and we took her words as a mother only to discover that they were lies.
“Today, we have mothers, fathers, and children here and school is resuming soon, how do we feed? For four years out of 35 years, how many years are left,” Iyanya bemoaned,” Iyanya grumbled.
Furthermore, he said that they were properly employed with genuine appointment letters.
“We have all authentic appointment letters duly signed by the government of Cross River state and we were posted to our different Ministries, Departments, and Agencies.
“This present administration employed us and the Head of Service keeps telling us she’s going to meet with His Excellency but from what we have gathered, we were reliably informed that she blatantly refused to submit our names to His Excellency and we know His Excellency is a busy man and so he delegates people to do things.
“We are about 1700 people cut across the 18 LGAs. His Excellency released a huge sum of money for verification. We have lost three of our colleagues; two women and a man. We have lost count of those in the hospital.
“As you can see, our children came with their parents because they have no money to feed and so they were brought along to buy snacks for them when they go hungry, instead of leaving them at home and they are actively involved,” he explained.
Grace Ekwo, another protester, informed Vanguard that they were employed by the Governor, Liyel Imoke and that their names were dropped in 2018/2019.
Photo Credit: Vanguard
“Our names were dropped on the payroll. In 2020, august precisely, we were called for the screening exercise which we all attended (1500 of us). Some names were omitted from the payroll and I was among but then the Head of Service, Dr. Chris Ita, said it was an error and that they would correct it.
“Since October 2020 when the salary was paid, up till date, I and my colleagues have not been paid, about 33 of us. We met the Head of Service and she said she will see the governor but up to date, she has not seen the governor.
“As I speak to you now, my clothes are in my bag because my landlord is giving me issues and I pass the night at friends’ houses, so I feed on there”.
Attempts to contact Geraldine Akpet-Ekanem, the Head of Service, were unsuccessful because she could not be reached at the time of writing this report.
When Asked, Mr. Christian Ita, Special Adviser to Governor Ayade on Media & Publicity, said the new request by the workers and their assertions were strange to him.
Mr. Christian said, “I am just hearing that for the first time but if they are Local Government civil servants, do they have any business with the Head of Service? I have never been aware of such development.
“The one I am aware of is that of the Magistrates of which the governor addressed their matter and civil servants that were employed under him where he said the process was not proper and they were reabsorbed.”
