Dozens of former staff of the now-defunct Institute of Technology and Management (ITM), Ugep, took to the streets of Calabar on Monday to protest six months of unpaid salaries, following the state government’s handover of the institution to the newly established Federal Polytechnic, Ugep (FPU).
Chanting solidarity songs and wielding placards with messages such as “Government, we want our payment!”, the workers marched over 100 kilometres to the Governor’s Office in Calabar to demand immediate action on their wages and employment status.
The aggrieved staff say they have not received salaries since January 2025, when the Cross River State Government transferred ITM’s assets to FPU. Despite promises that they would be absorbed into the federal system, the workers allege they have been left in limbo — working without pay or formal recognition.
“We need our payment. We have to feed our families. Please beg the government for us; we need money. Our families need to survive,” pleaded Emilia Oden, one of the protesters.
While FPU has assumed operations on ITM’s former campus, many of the original staff claim they’ve been neglected during the institutional transition. The frustration culminated in Monday’s protest, as workers sought direct intervention from Governor Bassey Otu.
A few union leaders were granted access into the Government House complex for a possible audience with the governor. Meanwhile, a large crowd of protesters remained outside under tight security.
This is not the first demonstration by the affected staff. A previous protest in Ugep drew the attention of the Paramount Ruler, Obol Ofem, who pledged to take up the matter with state authorities.
As of press time, the Cross River State Government had yet to release an official statement on the matter.
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