From Judex Okoro, Calabar
Magistrates in Cross River State have protested the non-payment of their 24 months salary.
The magistrates, drawn from the 18 local government areas of the state, including 11 from Obudu, besieged the governor’s office about 9am yesterday and demanded payment of their arrears of salaries.
The magistrates, who blocked the second gate of the governor’s office, carried placards with various inscriptions: “No bliss no blush, we are not crystallised nor olumpoticised,” “Cross River State magistrates in penury,” “we have right to employment,” and “Magistrates in Cross River State are thrown out of their rented apartments, Ayade pay us.”
Speaking on behalf of the protesting magistrates, the chief magistrate of the state, Solomon Abuo, said the protest is their last resort.
He said: “We are protesting the non- payment of our 24 months salary. This is January and we have been discharging our duties to the state government.
“We have courts that we are heading and we have been working for the state government to bring about peace and tranquility to the society yet the governor does not seem it fit to pay us our salary despite our entreaties, pleas, letters, correspondences and screening upon screening. After our employment and swearing in, we have undergone four screenings. Each of them, the governor ignored the report requesting him to pay us our salary.
“Last year, one of the magistrates was arraigned before a fellow magistrate for inability to pay house rent. Most us us can’t pay our house rents; we are squatting with colleagues. So, we will continue to protest and no more court sittings until we are paid.”