Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
Permanent Secretaries in Abia State who were retired in 2023, have again, passionately appealed to Governor Alex Otti, seeking his urgent intervention regarding their unpaid entitlements.
The retired Permanent Secretaries numbering about 30 made the call after a meeting with the Head of Service, HoS, Benson Ojeikere, in Umuahia.
They are demanding the payment of their severance allowance, furniture allowance and gratuity.
Spokesman of the group and former Permanent Secretary, Government House, Mr Nwachukwu Agonmuo, appealed to the Governor to urgently come to their rescue, describing their situation as very painful.
He thanked the Governor for his promises to pay them, and urged him to ensure that the officials he instructed to carry out the instruction complied.
Mr Agomuo who lauded the Governor for his commendable efforts to transform the state, appealed to him to consider their plight, explaining that life has become increasingly difficult for them following the non-payment of their entitlements since two years they were retired.
He said: “Our appeal to our Governor who has been doing so much in so many other sectors, is to consider our plight. Let him consider the fate of those who are deservedly supposed to be in service but were compulsorily retired since 2023.
“Let him show more compassion. We are asking for our severance allowance, furniture allowance and gratuity. These are parts of our condition of service.
“The severance allowance should have come because we should have been given three months in lieu of service before we were discharged from service. This is service procedure. We need this succour from Government to be able to cope.”
Agomuo recalled that the Governor had while responding to a question during his monthly media parley, said he had approved for the payment of the entitlements, and directed the Head of Service, to brief him on the situation.
He said they came to engage the HoS to know the actions taken to address their matter, and expressed satisfaction with the outcome of their deliberations.
“The meeting with the HoS was fruitful and robust. He told us that the Governor has us in his plans. He assured us that our entitlements will be cleared. Remember that during the last media parley, the Governor told him to brief him on the matter.
“So, we had the need to see him regarding the actions he had taken. This is almost two years we were retired compulsorily. So, the HoS told us what he has done and what he is doing to make sure the Governor’s promises are fulfilled.
“We can say we are satisfied with the explanations he has given but we are not satisfied that weeks and months are going, and nothing has happened. So, we became worried and needed to ask more questions.”
The affected retired Permanent Secretaries blamed the Accountant General of the State over the delays in the payment of their entitlements.
“We ask the Account General of the State to act without delays. Why hasn’t she done the needful. We are dying. In January, she asked us to submit our revelant papers to enable her to go through. But since then, nothing has happened. And that’s why we are worried, and begging the Governor to intervene.”
