A standoff has emerged between the Cross River State Government and a faction of local government employees regarding 11 months of missing pay. This tension escalated into a public demonstration in Calabar on Thursday, where workers displayed placards to demand their arrears.
Eyo Nsa Ekpo, Chairman of the Local Government Service Commission, dismissed the claims by stating the demonstrators are not legitimate government employees. He argued that the appointment letters they possess were not issued via official channels, asserting that all valid personnel hired by the state are currently being paid on time.
Ekpo suggested that these individuals were likely targeted by a recruitment scam, claiming that fake documents were created and sold to job hunters after an initial approval to hire 700 staff. He advised the victims to pursue refunds from those who orchestrated the scheme.
Conversely, the workers maintain their employment is valid. Represented by Team Progress for Cross River, they stated that they underwent a formal recruitment process that included testing and document verification. They highlighted that some peers who were hired during the same period are already on the payroll. This controversy stems from the period following Governor Bassey Otu’s decision to dissolve the former commission board in November 2025 due to concerns over hiring irregularities.
