‘S’East Governors not paying us, save us from starvation’ – SEGF Staff writes Traditional rulers

The Chairman
Enugu State Traditional Rulers’ Council
HRH Igwe (Amb) Lawrence Agbubuzo
Enugu State Traditional Rulers Secretariat
Enugu.*

SAVE US FROM STARVATION

As the Chairman of Enugu State Traditional Rulers’ Council, we humbly write to brief you (today, November 16, the Birth day of the late Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, a revered Igbo man)on the plight of the staff of the South East Governors’ Forum (SEGF) Secretariat. We have chosen to write to you because the SEGF Secretariat is domiciled in Enugu, the Headquarters of the South East Region. Besides, Your Royal Highness is an esteemed father and icon.

Since March 2021, the South East Governors have withheld the salaries of the five Directors drawn from the five South East States. The Directors are the Director-General (Prof. Simon U. Ortuanya, representing Enugu State); the Deputy Director-General (Engr. Gregory Madu, representing Imo State); Mr Orlando Nweze (Director of Finance and Administration, representing Ebonyi State); the Director of Media and Communication (Mr. Michael Ike Udah, representing Anambra State) and the Director of Projects, Engr. Chibuike Amaechi who represents Abia State.

The last salaries we received from the SEGF were paid at the end of February 2021. No sack, dismissal or dissolution memo or letter has , as at the time of writing this letter, been served on any of us. No explanation has been offered to us as to the reason why we have been abandoned in this most despicable way.

We have wives, children and a retinue of other dependants (including old parents, sick persons and pensioners) who look up to us for their needs. Given the current economic crunch in Nigeria, those workers who operate in different governmental and non-governmental organizations across our country find it difficult to eke out a decent existence. Your Royal Highness can imagine how we have been faring since the past eight months.

As Ndigbo, we at the SEGF ordinarily thought, upon our recruitment, that our Igbo Governors at the SEGF would treat us as fellow brothers from Ala-Igbo-the South East Region of our country. Among other things, we were euphoric that together with our Employers/Principals, we would tackle the issue of marginalization of Ndigbo.

But alas, while our Governors fete our Muslim brothers and sisters with drinks, food and even give them purse during their festive periods, on the contrary, they have abandoned us, a situation which may lead to our early demise because of frustration, High blood, depression, and hunger.

PRAYER: Against the foregoing, we earnestly write to humbly appeal to You Royal Highness/Excellency to intervene on our behalf, and help us by imploring our Governors/Employers to treat us as fellow human beings: pay us our outstanding Eight months’ salaries plus Christmas Bonus as December is by the bend.

We hope you will save us from starvation by appealing to the South East Governors – their Excellencies Engr. David Umahi, FNSE, FNATE (Chairman, South East Governors’ Forum and Governor of Ebonyi State); Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia State Governor); Dr. Willie Obiano ( Anambra State Governor); Dr. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu State Governor) and Chief Hope Uzodinma (Governor of Imo State).

It will be tragic if we are not paid our accumulated salaries before the month of December, 2021. That will spell a terrible Christmas for us, our families (nuclear and extended) and our numerous dependants. It will simply mean a re-enactment of a similar Christmas of starvation which we had encountered in the past because of a similar reason.

May God use you to save us, Amen!

Yours Sons,

Prof. Simon U Ortuanya SEGF (Director-General and
Secretary to the Enugu State Government).

Engr. Greg Madu (Deputy Director-General)

Orlando Nweze (Director, Finance And Administration and Ebonyi
State Commissioner for Finance and Strategy)

Michael Ike Udah (Director, Media and Communication)

Engr. Chibuike Amaechi (Director of Projects)

CC:
Chairman, SEGF & Governor of Ebonyi State
Governor of Abia State
Governor of Anambra State
Governor of Enugu State
Governor of Imo State
The President-General
Ohanaeze Ndigbo
Civil Society Organizations Network

The Chairman,
Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN)
South East Zone

The President
South East Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines & Agriculture
Chairman, Nigeria Governors’ Forum
Director-General, Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Abuja.