The sweepers say some of them earn as low as N5,000 a month.

Women employed as street sweepers in Calabar Municipality and Calabar South Local Government Areas of Cross River State on Tuesday protested the non-payment of their stipends for about four months.

The women, who protested at the entrance of the Governor's Office in Calabar, had placards with inscriptions such as "pay us our money," "we are tired of working without pay".

Addressing reporters on the matter, the leader of the protesters, Nkoyo Effiong, 60, said they had not been paid for four months, adding that it was tiring.

According to Mrs Effiong, "We are here to let the governor know that we have not been paid for four months now; in 2015, they refused to pay us for six months and now they want to go away with our four months salaries.

"Some of us are paid N5,000 monthly, others receive N10,000 while those we call wreckers are paid N15,000 a month; we just want them to give us our money before they leave office," she said.

On her part, Emana Cobham, another elderly woman, said they took so much risk in the course of sweeping the streets.

Mrs Cobham said as early as 4.30 a.m., they were expected to be at their duty posts to sweep their portion, always a long stretch before day-break.

"We have lost some sweepers to accidents, some have been raped while others have been robbed of their valuables, including phones," she narrated.

This is not the first time street sweepers are protesting in Calabar metropolis over the non-payment of their stipends.

In 2022, the workers, mostly in their 60s, took to the streets twice over similar treatment.

Responding to their plight, the Commissioner for Information in the state, Eric Anderson, said: "I am aware of the situation but that is not my beat. You have to contact the commissioner for environment."

The Commissioner for Environment, Nfon Bassey did not respond to calls and a text message requesting comment from him.