While plans appear to have been concluded by the Cross River State Government to sack dozens of local government staff employed in 2025, the legal firm, Legalmax Solicitors, “representing and acting for Local Government Staff employed in the year 2025”, has put in a plea that the state government should not go ahead and execute her plan.
Max Ogar, who signed the document, dated April 2, 2026, and addressed to state governor, Bassey Edet Otu, maintained that: “.It is our clients’ brief that they were lawfully/legitimately recruited/employed by the Cross River State Local Government Service Commission in the year 2025 on the strength of an approval to recruit/employ.”
“It is our clients’ further brief that they were all issued employment letters and some of them have been receiving salaries since March 2025. It is common knowledge that the law presumes regularity of official acts/actions such as employment by governments and their agencies.”
“Your Excellency, we have information that plans are underway to sack/disengage our clients including those already in the payroll. As partners in progress, we seize the initiative to inform your Excellency that that action will not augur well; people whose employment has statutory flavour cannot just be thrown out of their jobs whimsically. Your Excellency may wish to be guided by the Supreme Court decision in Obaje V. Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (2024)6 NWLR (Pt.1933) 119. The National Industrial Court of Nigeria decision (per Hon. Justice E. Agbakoba) in NICN/ABJ/60/2013 (Ibrahim Muhammed & 169 Ors. V. The Attorney General of Kogi State & Anor) is also very instructive and informative.”
“We passionately appeal to your Excellency to intervene by causing the Local Government Service Commission to refrain from its intended action.”
We could not ascertain at press time, if legal action will be carried out against the state government, should she go ahead with plans to effect her anticipated action.
