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COVID-19: We're dying of hunger, Ebonyi civil servants, others lament

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to ravage the world, civil servants in Ebonyi State have implored the state governor, Engr. David Nweze Umahi, to, as a matter of urgency, facilitate payment of their April and May salaries.

In separate interviews with Paulokahblog on Thursday, many civil servants in the state said that they are dying of hunger, as a result of paucity of funds and skyrocketing prices of commodities.

Speaking with our reporter, a staff of the Ebonyi State University (EBSU), who identified himself simply as Joseph, said that many workers of the institution were yet to be paid April salaries, let alone May, and that he has resorted to begging and depending on relatives to survive with his family of five children.

He said: "In the name of Jesus Christ and COVID-19, we plead with governor Umahi for Ebonyi State University staff to be paid their April salary, so that their families and dependants will heave a sigh of relief in this challenging moment. He has paid other civil servants since the 15th of April, while that of EBSU staff has not been paid up till now.

"From the feedback we have been getting, the issue is that subvention from the government has not reached the banks for onward disbursement to civil servants. Umahi should ask his Commissioner for Finance to pay EBSU workers. We are dying of hunger. The situation is no longer funny. Even the palliatives he has been promising for months now are still climbing Mountain Kilimanjaro and Everest, while we are dying of hunger."

Similarly, a senior secondary school teacher in Abakaliki, Mr. Pius Nkwegu Leonard, said that he last received his meagre salary on April 4, but that there is no effort by the state government to come to the rescue of dying teachers.

"Umahi has not been able to provide palliatives since the Coronavirus pandemic started, including the ones donated by the federal government, which he is allegedly hoarding. In fact, after so much noise and promises of disbursement, he is no longer talking about it.

"As I speak with you, I hear that there is even no salary for the political appointees he has been using as COVID-19 taskforce for two months. Civil servants are crying, having been paid their usual Umahi peanuts, which he glorifies as salary, on 4th April. Till date, we have not seen anything called salary.

"Primary school teachers and Junior Secondary School teachers are under UBEB and they received their April salary about a week ago, with the LGA staff. However, Senior Secondary School teachers and other state workers were paid last on 4th April, while political officeholders have not been paid for two months," he said.

Efforts to get the reaction of the state Commissioner for Information, Barrister Uchenna Orji, and Commissioner for Finance and Economic Development, Professor Ogbonna Chukwu, proved abortive as they could not take several calls nor reply text messages on the subject matter.

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