The Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, has called on the administration of Governor Bassey Otu of Cross River State to endeavour to offset all outstanding gratuities due to civil servants who left service several years ago and have not been paid. Otu released the sum of ten billion naira to offset part of the obligation, but this was insufficient to defray the backlog. It is learnt that gratuities due to several senior citizens date back many years. The Cross River State Council of the NUJ, at its July 2026 Congress, appealed to the state government to expedite the payment of these outstanding gratuities owed to retired public servants. The council urged the government to sustain its commitment to releasing additional funds to clear the outstanding obligations.