By Jonathan Ugbal
Staff of the now defunct Cross River State Institute of Technology and Management, Ugep staged a protest on Wednesday demanding four months of unpaid salaries.
The Institution, set up by the then Governor Liyel Imoke’s administration in 2012, was scrapped last year after the State Government handed its facilities over to the Federal Polytechnic Ugep.
The handover was completed in January 2025 and Staff said that is the last month they received salaries.
Bearing placards with different inscriptions such as; “You can’t take all facilities, premises and leave out personnel,” “Pay Our Salaries CR-ITM,” and, “Rector Take All Staff Or Return Our ITM,” the staff said some of their colleagues have died within the period they are being owed.
The protest, which began at about 10:00 AM, saw staff march through the Calabar – Ikom – Katsina-Ala highway to the Palace of the Obol Lopon of Ugep, Obol Ofem Ubana Eteng who addressed them.
Videos obtained by CrossRiverWatch show staff telling passers-by that they are hungry.
More details later…