Staff of the former Institute of Technology and Management, Ugep, staged a protest in Calabar on Monday over six months of unpaid salaries.

The workers said they haven’t been paid since January 2025, following the Cross River State Government’s handover of ITM to the newly established Federal Polytechnic, Ugep.

Although the state had promised to absorb the staff into the federal system, the protesters said they are still working without pay or clear direction about their future.

“We need our payment. We have to feed our families. Please beg the government for us, we need money; our families need to survive,” said Emilia Oden, one of the protesters.

FPU has taken over ITM’s facilities and moved its operations to the campus, but many ITM staff say they have been abandoned during the transition.

The protesting workers travelled over 100 kilometres to the Governor’s Office in Calabar, singing solidarity songs and holding placards that read messages like “Government, we want our payment!”

Some union leaders were allowed into the complex to await a meeting with Governor Bassey Out, while others remained outside under tight security.

This protest follows an earlier demonstration in Ugep, where the Paramount Ruler, Obol Ofem, expressed concern and promised to raise the issue with the governor.

As of the time of filing this report, the state government had not issued any official response. (The PUNCH)