Primary school teachers in Yala Local Government Area of Cross River State on Friday staged a protest over the non-payment of their salaries, alleging months of neglect and unfair treatment.

The aggrieved teachers, carrying placards with inscriptions expressing their frustration, marched through major streets before converging on the council secretariat. They decried what they described as selective salary payments and unexplained deductions.

According to the protesters, they are owed salaries for September 2025, as well as January and February 2026.

Speaking on behalf of the group, Peter Okpe said the situation has been dire, noting that in September 2025, more than 95 percent of teachers were not paid, while those who received payments were short-changed.

“Even among those paid, some received as little as N3,000 or N7,000. In some cases, salaries were credited and immediately debited. This is unacceptable,” he said.

Okpe further alleged that salary payments appeared to favour individuals with connections to influential figures.

“We have cases where some teachers contacted their godfathers and got paid instantly, while others were left out,” he claimed.

He warned that if the issue is not urgently resolved, teachers may boycott the next academic term.

However, the Cross River State Government has pushed back against the claims. Commissioner for Education, Stephen Odey, attributed the non-payment to absenteeism among some teachers.

“Many of those complaining are not present during verification exercises. Teachers are expected to be in classrooms during school hours, but those with issues are often found wanting,” he said, insisting that the government is not indebted to workers.

Providing a different perspective, the Press Secretary to the Yala Council Chairman, Emmanuel Onah, blamed the situation on a system glitch.

He explained that some teachers were overpaid in September 2025, with a few allegedly receiving as much as N1 million, and have since failed to come forward for reconciliation.

“Efforts have been made to correct these errors, but some affected individuals have not cooperated. Notably, salaries for October, November, and December 2025 were paid without issues,” Onah stated.

He assured that steps are being taken to resolve the discrepancies.

The conflicting narratives have heightened tensions, leaving many teachers uncertain about their financial stability as calls grow for a transparent and swift resolution to the crisis.