Cross River LG workers reject Otu’s reinstatement claim, protest unpaid salaries

On Tuesday, thousands of Cross River State local government workers marched to the Federal Secretariat in Calabar to protest the state government's claim of reinstating 3,000 of them. The protesters dismissed the announcement as a "huge hoax" and demanded payment for their unpaid salaries. They argued that they had been working without pay for months in various local government departments, health centers, and revenue units.

The group's leader, Mr. Julius Uchi, insisted that none of the affected workers had been reinstated, calling the government's announcement misleading. Uchi, who joined the government in 2025, claimed the workers had received no official confirmation of the reinstatement through any government publication. The workers had previously protested, leading to the establishment of a commission and panel of inquiry, which resulted in a notice nullifying the recruitment exercise.

They maintained that they had been duly recruited, screened, cleared, and deployed by their councils and the Local Government Service Commission. When the governor mentioned reinstatement, Uchi said they didn't understand as nobody was removed from the payroll initially. He also alleged that some affected workers were still working in health centers and revenue-generating departments without pay.

Public Complaints Commission's Federal Commissioner for Cross River State, Dr. Owa Egbara, praised the protesters for their orderly conduct and studied their petition. He argued that employment is a binding contract, and workers who had started duty could not be arbitrarily denied their benefits. Egbara warned that failure to follow due process could result in litigation and that the Ombudsman would intervene where necessary to protect the public interest.

The commission would investigate the status of the affected workers and the circumstances surrounding the alleged selective reinstatement.