Skip to main content

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.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Iheukwumere builds house for homeless man in Afikpo

The three-bedroom flat Iheukwumere built for Jaguar A House of Assembly aspirant in Afikpo, Ebonyi state, Mr Iheukwumere Okogwu Otu, has handed over a three-bedroom flat he built for a homeless man in Ezi Agbii, Ukpa, in Afikpo North local government area of Ebonyi state. Iheukwumere, who is the Special Adviser (SA) to Hon. Maria Ude Nwachi, member representing Afikpo North East Constituency in the Ebonyi State House of Assembly (EBHA), made the donation Tuesday during his birthday celebration. In an exclusive chat with Paul Okah Blog , Iheukwumere said that the kind gesture was borne out of the fact that the milk of kindness flowing in his veins could not allow him to bear the sight of the beneficiary, Mr Chukwu Oko (a.k.a Jaguar) being homeless. Iheukwumere said that, despite having limited resources, he dedicated his salary as SA to start the project in 2014, due to the fact that the beneficiary had been sleeping outside with his six children since 2007. He sa...
2 comments
Read more

Don't quit by Edgar Albert Guest

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will, when the road you're trudging seems all uphill, when the funds are low and the debts are high, and you want to smile but you have to sigh, when care is pressing you down a bit - rest if you must, but don't you quit. Life is queer with its twists and turns. As everyone of us sometimes learns. And many a fellow turns about when he might have won had he stuck it out. Don't give up though the pace seems slow - you may succeed with another blow. Often the goal is nearer than it seems to a faint and faltering man; Often the struggler has given up when he might have captured the victor's cup; and he learned too late when the night came down, how close he was to the golden crown. Success is failure turned inside out - the silver tint of the clouds of doubt, and when you never can tell how close you are, it may be near when it seems afar; so stick to the fight when you're hardest hit - it's when things seem...
Post a Comment
Read more

Stop inflicting economic hardship on Ebonyians with tax demands, ex-SSG implores Umahi

Former Secretary to the State Government of Ebonyi State, Professor Benard Odoh, has implored the Ebonyi State Governor, Engr. David Nweze Umahi, to desist from inflicting economic hardship on Ebonyians. In an open letter he made available to Paulokahblog Friday morning, Odoh said that, "as a way of cushioning the devastating effects of the covid-19 pandemic on Ebonyi’s struggling economy, there is urgent need to jettison the collection of tenement rates/ground rents from landlords, excessive/forceful drive for quarry haulage levies and waiving of personal income taxes".  Odoh regretted that, despite the efforts of the state government in policing its borders against the COVID-19 pandemic, Ebonyi State, as of May 21, has recorded 13 cases and expressed hope that the situation would not get worse in the state in particular and Nigeria in general, even as he pledged support for the state government in ensuring that the active cases are managed successfully "to t...
Post a Comment
Read more