Governor Bassey Edet Otu of Cross River State has been commended for directing the retention of 3,000 Local Government workers on the State payroll following a meeting with the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC). The decision followed concerns raised by Organised Labour over the ongoing verification and review of Local Government workers, which had uncovered alleged irregularities in the payroll system. Briefing journalists after the meeting, the Commissioner for Information, Pastor Ekpenyong Cobham, said Governor Otu listened to the concerns raised by labour and directed that genuine workers affected by the exercise should remain on the payroll. Cobham explained that the decision will allow government to work with Organised Labour to address the identified anomalies without negatively affecting legitimate workers. According to the Commissioner, government remains committed to sanitising the payroll, particularly by identifying and removing ghost workers, underage persons and other questionable entries. He described the meeting between government and Organised Labour as a "convivial family meeting," stressing that dialogue remains central to resolving issues affecting workers and the state. "The decision is expected to provide relief to genuine local government employees while allowing government to continue its efforts to eliminate fraudulent entries from the payroll," the Commissioner stated. Cobham commended the Governor for the decision, describing it as a restoration of hope. Also speaking, the State Chairman of NLC, Comrade Gregory Olayi, commended Governor Otu for maintaining a peaceful industrial relationship with Organised Labour since the inception of his administration. He applauded the Governor for granting labour's request by directing the retention of the 3,000 Local Government workers. He attributed the industrial harmony enjoyed under the People's First administration to the Governor's willingness to engage workers and their representatives in dialogue whenever issues arise. On the nationwide warning strike billed to commence from 12:00 midnight, the labour leader said workers would be communicated accordingly by the National Council. In a vote of thanks, the NLC Vice Chairman, Comrade Lawrence Achuta, appreciated Governor Otu for granting labour the opportunity to present its concerns and for directing the retention of the affected workers pending further collaboration on the verification process. Achuta said the verification exercise should protect genuine employees while ensuring that ghost workers, underage names and other wrongful entries are removed from the payroll. He said the state has recorded more than three years without a strike, describing the development as a major achievement. Reflecting on the relationship between labour and the administration since 2023, Achuta reaffirmed the commitment of Organised Labour to supporting the government and contributing to the development of the state. "We stand with you. We stand with your government. Any decision you take, we rest assured that we will stand with you," he said. The NLC Vice Chairman also expressed optimism about the development of the state, recalling that Cross River had previously been described as having "lost its paradise." According to him, the state is gradually regaining its development momentum. "In 2023, we had been saying that our paradise was lost. We have regained paradise in that period," he said. He called for continued engagement between government and Organised Labour, stressing that regular dialogue remains important to sustaining industrial harmony and protecting workers' interests.
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