Ugep, Cross River State Staff of the Cross River State Polytechnic have raised an outcry over the non-payment of their salaries for the past six months, staging peaceful protests and demanding immediate government intervention to end what they describe as a deepening humanitarian crisis among workers.

Gathering at the institution’s main gate on Monday, lecturers, administrative staff, and support personnel displayed placards bearing messages such as “Six Months Without Pay: How Do We Survive?” and “We Teach, But We Starve.” The protest disrupted academic activities, as workers vowed not to return to their posts until their demands are met.

Speaking to reporters, Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), Cross River chapter, Comrade Daniel Etta, decried the state government’s silence on the issue, saying the prolonged non-payment has subjected staff and their families to untold hardship.

“We can no longer meet our basic needs—feeding, medical care, rent, and school fees for our children. Some of our colleagues have fallen seriously ill, while others are slipping into depression,” Etta said.

The union also accused the institution’s management of failing to effectively engage with the state government or provide transparent communication about when payments might resume.

Several staff members told reporters they have been relying on loans, charity, and side jobs to survive. Others lamented the lack of job security and alleged that the state government has continued to prioritize political appointments over staff welfare.

Efforts to reach the Cross River State Commissioner for Education were unsuccessful as of press time. However, a senior official in the ministry who spoke on condition of anonymity acknowledged the delay, citing “fiscal constraints” and ongoing budgetary reviews.

This is not the first time the polytechnic has faced salary delays. In recent years, the institution has struggled with funding shortages, infrastructure decay, and staff attrition—issues that critics say point to chronic neglect by successive administrations.

The protesting workers warned that if their demands are not addressed promptly, they would escalate actions to include a full-blown strike and public demonstrations in Calabar, the state capital.