City Sweepers Turn Cross River Governor’s Office To Dumping Site In Protest

 

EKO HOT BLOG reports that City sweepers in Calabar, the Cross River state capital, staged a protest in front of the governor’s office on Tuesday, blocking the entrance with garbage. The protesters, numbering about 100, said they had not been paid their salaries for the past four months by the state government.

The women, who were responsible for sweeping the streets of the state capital, revealed that the last time they received their monthly stipends was in December 2022.

Their protest caused a traffic obstruction around the seat of power, located along Leopard Road in Calabar.

Several sweepers who spoke with reporters said they had attempted to communicate with their employer but their pleas had fallen on deaf ears.

As a result, they decided to protest in front of the governor’s office to draw attention to their plight.

During the demonstration, the sweepers emptied debris from waste bins and other garbage from the first gate, which is the main entrance used only by the governor, to the second gate, used by other individuals.

Security personnel, including police officers and state security service officials, attempted to stop passers-by and journalists from taking photographs and videos, apprehending onlookers and deleting photos from their devices.

The protest highlights the plight of low-income earners in the state, who are struggling to make ends meet due to unpaid salaries.

 

It remains to be seen if the state government will address the situation and provide the sweepers with the pay they are owed.