The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate for Cross River State, Sir Arthur Javis Archibong, has raised concerns over the welfare of civil servants, pensioners and other public workers in the state, saying his recent tour of some local government areas left him “with a very heavy heart” after hearing what he described as widespread complaints from workers.Archibong, in a video statement, said civil servants, whom he described as “the engine room of government,” were struggling to cope with their salaries and the rising cost of living. He specifically claimed that the N70,000 national minimum wage approved by the Federal Government had not been fully implemented in Cross River State.
The claim contrasts with previous reports that Cross River State and organised labour reached an agreement on the N70,000 minimum wage in December 2024, with implementation stated to take effect from December 1, 2024. In September 2025, the state government also said the N70,000 minimum wage had been implemented since December 2024.
Archibong said workers were putting in their best but still finding it difficult to meet their basic needs, asking how a “faithful worker” could become stranded and hungry in his or her own state.
He also alleged that some young people recruited into the local government service had worked for almost a year before being dismissed without receiving their salaries. He extended his concerns to pensioners, describing them as people who had contributed significantly to the development of Cross River State.
On minimum wage, Archibong argued that the state had moved from the previous N18,000 minimum wage to N30,000 and subsequently N70,000, but alleged that the corresponding adjustments had not been fully harmonised under the administration of Governor Bassey Otu.
He further complained about the pressure of rising market prices, arguing that while the cost of living had increased substantially, pensioners continued to struggle with their existing benefits.
Archibong also focused on gratuity payments, describing gratuity as a major reward for decades of public service and an important source of support for retired workers dealing with healthcare and other needs.
He alleged that the state government still owed gratuities to some workers who retired from 2015 onward, describing the alleged backlog as “twelve solid years in arrears.” However, this specific figure conflicts with a September 2025 statement by the Cross River State Government, which said gratuities had been paid to retirees up to 2015.
The PDP candidate further alleged that, despite increased federal allocations to states, the welfare of senior citizens in Cross River had not improved sufficiently. He described the situation he alleged as “not just disappointing, but inhuman,” and claimed that some elderly people were dying as a result of hardship.
The Cross River Government had previously stated that Governor Otu was committed to improving conditions for serving and retired workers, including clearing gratuity backlogs, regularising pension payments and implementing overdue promotions. The government also said in November 2024 that Cross River intended to pay above the N70,000 national minimum wage.
Looking ahead to the 2027 governorship election, Archibong promised that, if sworn into office, his first assignment would be to address what he described as injustices affecting workers and pensioners.
He pledged to develop what he called a transparent plan for addressing gratuity arrears and said his administration would work to secure the future of workers in the state.
“Your sweat will never be in vain,” Archibong told workers, urging Cross Riverians to support his political ambition and promising to restore what he described as dignity to civil servants across the state.
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