By Tony Okafor, Awka
No fewer than 400 workers of the defunct Anambra State Water Corporation and Anambra State Environmental Protection Agency (ANSEPA) have died .
The workers were said to be owed 14 years salaries and other entitlements by successive governments in the state
Chairman of the State Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations Employees (AUCPTRE) Comrade Emmanuel Onyejiaka disclosed this to our Correspondent.
Onyejiaka was reacting to an unconfirmed report that the Anambra State Governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, who had earlier promised to intervene in the workers’ predicament by paying them some fractions of their accumulated salaries and other entitlements before long, had eventually put such payments on hold.
Onyejiaka said”If this is true,it means that our children would be watching others enjoying the Christmas rice.”
He reminded the state government that more than 400 staff of both organisations had died through the misery of non-payment of salaries and other entitlements such that the collateral effect had robbed many families of decent life and opportunities.
He called on the state governor to re-consider his position on the matter and wipe tears away from the eyes of the workers.
According to him,”this is a jinx Governor Soludo must break to be a hero.”
Onyejiaka said though he felt very sad about the development, he had not lost hope on the Soludo intervention.
He said he was still optimistic that the Governor could do something since he had started the move with verification of the workers.
Onyejiaka thanked the state Head of Service,the State Attorney General,the Water Agency Managing Director and others who had been assisting in pursuing the case of the helpless workers.
Our correspondent gathered that the workers are owed for 14 years by successive governments in the state, but following a National Industrial Court Judgement ordering liquidation of their entitlements, Soludo intervened.
Our correspondent learnt that when the workers received the sad news in their meeting on Friday that Governor Soludo had allegedly put payment of their entitlements on hold, many of them broke down in tears.
A source said, “Staff of both organisations had undergone a verification excercise which lasted more than two weeks and after the conclusion,both labour and officials of the state government had been working together and concluded the excercise which was supervised by the state Head of Service,the State Attorney General and other technocrats in government.
“A delegation comprising the National President of Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations Employees and his National Secretary from Abuja met with state governmentt officials where agreements were reached.
“The worker’s hopes were dashed when during a briefing today( Friday),they were informed by their labour leaders that sources close to the Governor said the Governor would rather push the matter till next year.
“Many of them broke down in tears and emotions.Some of them who looked famished and tired gazed helplessly into the sky and were muttering inaudible words.
“Some knelt down,prayed and sang praises to God…saying that only God has the final say.Some of them who had sight and walking challenges were assisted by their relatives to attend the briefing only to go home with the sad news.”
