On April 25th, a group of female environmental workers employed by the Calabar Urban Development Authority (CUDA) staged a peaceful protest due to their salaries being unpaid for over four months. The protest took place at the Governor’s Office in Calabar, where the workers, holding leaves in their hands, chanted songs of solidarity and emotional tunes, demanding to be paid.
One of the sweepers, who lost her husband, shared that she relies on the ten thousand Naira monthly stipend to support her four children and provide them with an education.
Despite several protests, the Cross River State government and the Ministry of Environment have not addressed the issue. The workers’ supervisor has reportedly claimed that there is no money and even threatened to terminate their employment.
“We have not received salaries for four months since January. The Commissioner for Environment has remained silent, and Eno Edem, our supervisor who is responsible for paying us, claims there is no money. We have protested at the Governor’s Office almost every week, and we are exhausted,” said one of the workers.
The workers are frustrated with the lack of communication and support from their employer and fear for their well-being if the situation is not addressed soon.
