Local government workers in Cross River State staged a peaceful protest in Calabar on Wednesday, demanding payment of salaries owed for nearly a year. The employees, hired in 2025, accused the state government of failing to place them on the payroll despite resuming duties.Braving heavy rain, the protesters marched to the Governor’s Office carrying placards with messages such as “We are suffering” and “We need our salaries.”Speaking for the group, protest leader Uchi Julius said the delay had plunged many into hardship, with some workers relying on loans to survive. He lamented that several colleagues had died during the government’s verification process.“We didn’t come here to beg for money; we came to ask for what we have worked for. We are hungry. We are dying. We have lost more than six colleagues,” Julius declared.Another worker, Happiness Augustine, said she had served for a year without pay. She appealed directly to Governor Bassey Otu: “We are begging him to have mercy on us and pay us because we have been diligent in our duties.”The Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Anthony Enoh, addressed the protesters, assuring them that the government was finalising steps to resolve the issue. He explained that a panel of inquiry had submitted its report and a white paper was ready for implementation.“I assure you that within two weeks, all of you will smile. If you have waited for almost a year, two weeks is not too long,” Enoh promised.