Govt: Your appointments are fake
Workers: We were duly employed
By Emma Una
CALABAR — The Cross River State Government and a group of local government workers whose appointments are being disputed have exchanged accusations over the non-payment of 11 months’ salaries.
The disagreement, which has lingered for several months, became public on Thursday when the affected workers staged a peaceful protest in Calabar, carrying placards and demanding payment of what they described as 11 months of outstanding salaries.
Reacting to the protest, Chairman of the Cross River State Local Government Service Commission, Mr. Eyo Nsa Ekpo, said the protesters were not recognised as employees of the local government service.
In a statement titled, “Protest by Purported Workers of Local Government: Facts of the Matter,” Ekpo maintained that the appointment letters presented by the protesters were not issued through the lawful recruitment process and, therefore, could not be recognised by the state government.
According to him, the Cross River State Government does not owe any duly employed local government worker salaries.
He said: “Every legitimate employee of the Local Government Service Commission who was lawfully recruited into service and duly captured on the government payroll is receiving his or her salary as and when due.”
Ekpo alleged that investigations showed that some job seekers were victims of an organised employment syndicate that allegedly issued fake appointment letters after the previous commission received approval to recruit 700 personnel.
He claimed that some individuals reproduced employment documents without the knowledge or approval of the state government and sold them to unsuspecting applicants.
The commission chairman sympathised with those affected but said the government could not assume responsibility for appointments that were not lawfully authorised.
He advised those who paid money to obtain the disputed appointment letters to seek refunds from those who allegedly collected the payments.
However, the protesting workers rejected the commission’s position, insisting that they were legitimately recruited through an official process.
In a statement titled, “Newly Employed Local Government Staff Across the State Condemn the Statement by the Local Government Service Commission Chairman, Barrister Eyo Nsa Ekpo, Over Job Scam,” the group said it participated in the recruitment exercise, including handwritten applications, examinations and certificate verification conducted across the state’s three senatorial districts.
The protesters also expressed dissatisfaction with the commission’s characterisation of their appointments, arguing that they were not aware of any alleged irregularities in the recruitment process.
The statement, signed by Team Progress for Cross River on behalf of the protesters, further alleged that some individuals recruited during the same exercise were already receiving salaries.
The dispute follows the dissolution of the former Board of the Cross River State Local Government Service Commission by Governor Bassey Otu in November 2025.
The governor also accepted the resignation of the then Chairman, Darlington Bassey Eyo, amid reports of alleged irregularities in the recruitment exercise. The recruitment was subsequently suspended, the board dissolved, and a new commission headed by Eyo Nsa Ekpo was constituted.
The post C’River Govt, disputed LG workers trade words over unpaid salaries appeared first on Vanguard News.