The Cross River State Advocacy Team for Tuberculosis Elimination has intensified its push for accountability in the state's health system. Led by Pastor Effiong Udobong, the team paid a high-level visit to the Auditor-General for Local Government to press for the resolution of staffing bottlenecks plaguing the primary health sector. Udobong lamented the unattractive conditions of service for civil servants and called for an upward review of salaries. He drew particular attention to persistent salary delays, especially for newly recruited health workers in rural facilities, warning that unpaid staff undermine morale, productivity, and the delivery of life-saving care in underserved communities already grappling with personnel shortages. The visit forms part of the Integrated Community-Led Monitoring programme, which empowers citizens to flag systemic gaps and press authorities for action. Udobong linked the payroll logjam to rising mortality and a surge in cases of tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, and malaria, stressing that prompt remuneration is not a perk but a prerequisite for functional health services. Responding, the Auditor-General, Bassey Abam Eko, acknowledged the Governor's commitment to expanding the health workforce but admitted that the recruitment process had been hijacked by unnamed individuals, resulting in irregularities and payroll delays. He assured the team that corrective measures were underway and urged them to sustain their watchdog role. The advocates welcomed the assurance, pledging to monitor progress with the Auditor-General's office. They also announced plans to scale up community sensitisation, educating residents on their right to quality healthcare and how to report service failures.
By Ekuma Anastasia
