We can authoritatively reveal that 209 staff of the Cross River State Local Government Service Commission, have dragged the Commission and the Cross River State Attorney General before the National Industrial Court, Calabar division, challenging their laying off by the Commission.
In court documents sighted by www.calitown.com, the 209 claimants, who are Cross River indigenes from the 18 Local Government Areas of the State, maintain that they “are employees of the Cross River State Local Government Service Commission within the territorial jurisdiction of this Honourable Court.’
The 1st Defendant (the Local Government Service Commission), they maintain, “is a creation of the Cross River State Government saddled with the responsibility of hiring, deploying, disciplining and firing Local Government employees in Cross River State. The 1st Defendant’s operational base is Calabar within the territorial jurisdiction of this Honourable Court.”
“The Claimants responded to an advertisement for employment/recruitment made by the 1st Defendant herein by applying individually for employment/recruitment. The advertisement was predicated on a recruitment approval given by the Cross River State Government through the State Governor. There are online news items reporting the approval given and alluding to the recruitment of 4000 persons. The said news items are hereby pleaded. “
“As directed by the 1st Defendant, the Claimants travelled from far and wide to attend interviews and participate in screening exercises in Calabar; the Cross River State capital. The Claimants were, thereafter and after considered successful in the exercise, respectively issued appointment letters. The appointment letters of the Claimants are hereby pleaded.”
“The Claimants were, each, requested to accept their respective appointments within 30 days. They all did as they were required to.” Furthermore, “the Claimants were made to complete and return Form No.: LGSC9 with the medical certificates thereon duly completed by approved medical officers.’
“The appointment of the respective Claimants is subject, in all respects, to the conditions stipulated in the Civil Service rules and other Government /Local Government regulations and institutions.”
“The Claimants were posted to the 18 Local Government Areas of Cross River State by the 1st Defendant herein. The Claimants’ posting letters are hereby pleaded. There are letters from the 1st Defendant forwarding lists of postings and letters from the Local Governments confirming the postings and even showing internal postings. Such letters are hereby pleaded.”
The Claimants resumed in the respective Local Governments they were posted to and were, accordingly, received and documented. The Claimants were, prior to their respective postings, sent to the Auditor General for Local Governments for image capturing. A letter from the 1st Defendant signed by Elder (Dr.) Ekpeyong Esuabana, JP (Permanent Secretary), dated 24th June 2025 and issued to Obok Sunday Ogana is hereby pleaded.”
“After appointing and posting the several people duly employed, the 1st Defendant payrolled some of the people who have been receiving salaries since March 2025 whilst none of the Claimants herein has been payrolled and paid since they were employed after fulfilling all conditions precedent. Following agitations by the Claimants and other men/women of goodwill, the 1st Defendant in March 2026 indicated it will terminate the appointments of the Claimants herein for reasons which remain impervious.”
“There is a valid and subsisting contract between the 1st Defendant and each of the Claimants herein. The Claimants are all on their duty posts. A case in point is the Mma Effa Primary Health Centre where the April 2026 duty roster confirms the Claimants are discharging their responsibilities.
The duty roster is hereby pleaded. The Cross River State Government, through the Secretary to the State Government, issued a press statement on 8th April 2026 touching on the recruitment of the Claimants.”
It is finally believed that; “Without the intervention of this Honourable Court, the Cross River State Government and its Local Government Service Commission will take actions that will be preposterous and inimical to the interest of the Claimants”.
This claimant’s witness statement on oath was deposed to by Uchi Julius, sworn to at the Registry of the National Industrial Court, Calabar.
