Staff of the former Institute of Technology and Management (ITM), Ugep, took to the streets of Calabar on Monday to protest six months of unpaid salaries.
They claimed their wages have been withheld since January 2025, following the Cross River State Government’s transfer of ITM to the newly established Federal Polytechnic, Ugep.
Although the state government had pledged to transition them into the federal system, the protesting workers said they are still working without compensation or clarity regarding their future employment.
“We need our payment. We have to feed our families. Please beg the government for us, we need money; our families need to survive,” said Emilia Oden, one of the protesters.
FPU has taken over ITM’s facilities and moved its operations to the campus, but many ITM staff say they have been abandoned during the transition.
The protesting workers travelled over 100 kilometres to the Governor’s Office in Calabar, singing solidarity songs and holding placards that read messages like “Government, we want our payment!”
Some union leaders were allowed into the complex to await a meeting with Governor Bassey Otu, while others remained outside under tight security.
This protest follows an earlier demonstration in Ugep, where the Paramount Ruler, Obol Ofem, expressed concern and promised to raise the issue with the governor.
As of the time of filing this report, the state government had not issued any official response.
