Primary school teachers in Yala Local Government Area took to the streets on Friday to protest the non-payment of their salaries for three months, raising concerns about the welfare of educators and the stability of basic education in the area.

The protesting teachers marched through major streets before converging at the local council secretariat, carrying placards to express their frustration over what they described as selective salary payments and unexplained deductions.

According to the spokesperson of the group, Peter Okpe, many teachers were not paid their September 2025 salaries, while others received incomplete payments. He added that the situation persisted into January and February 2026.

Okpe alleged that only a small number of teachers out of over 300 in the local government were paid, and even among those, several received extremely low amounts. He further claimed that personal connections influenced who got paid, with some teachers allegedly receiving their salaries after contacting influential individuals.

He warned that if the issue is not urgently addressed, teachers may refuse to resume for the next academic term, a development that could disrupt learning activities for pupils in public primary schools.

However, the Cross River State Government has denied owing salaries and attributed the situation to irregularities among some teachers. The State Commissioner for Education, Stephen Odey, stated that many of the affected teachers were not consistently present at their duty posts.

According to him, absenteeism during official verification exercises led to the exclusion of some teachers from salary payments. He maintained that only those who failed to comply with official procedures were affected, insisting that the government is not indebted to workers.

Providing another perspective, Emmanuel Onah explained that the issue may have resulted from a technical error in the payment system. He revealed that some teachers were mistakenly overpaid in September 2025, with a few reportedly receiving amounts far above their actual salaries.

Onah noted that efforts to correct these discrepancies have been challenging, as some affected individuals have not come forward for reconciliation. He, however, assured that the matter is being addressed and that normal payment processes would be restored.

The situation highlights ongoing challenges in salary administration within the education sector and raises concerns about its potential impact on teaching and learning in public schools.