– Workers Still Receive N30k Minimum Wage
– Promotions, Yet To Reflect In Salary Several Months After Announcement
Tongues are currently wagging about how Governor Hope Uzodinma’s kinsman Terrence Nnamdi Onyejiaku, who is neither a civil servant nor has civil service experience was contracted by the state government and put incharge of the Imo State Data Management Center, a private firm that oversees the payment of salaries and pensions of civil servants in the state.
Terrence, whose office is said to be beside the Deputy Governor’s office, has reportedly taken over the duties and responsibilities of the Accountant General of Imo State, Linus Okafor the former Bursar of the Imo State Polytechnic who is also said to be Uzodinma’s kinsman.
A Government House source who pleaded anonymity, said, the responsibility of the Accountant General, whose duties are statutory now seem to end at going to Abuja to sign out allocations which are disbursed without his consent and knowledge as required by law.
Some civil servants who also pleaded anonymity said, though, they complained bitterly when the Accountant General who worked as Bursar under the equally controversial Rector of Imo State Polytechnic, Umuagwo, Rev Fr Wence Madu was appointed said, they received their October salary last week and noticed to their greatest dismay that it was still based on the N30,000 minimum wage. Some of them who received double promotions in the last orchestrated promotion exercise also lamented that they were paid their old salaries. When asked if nothing was added, they said not even a kobo was added to it.
“The most annoying part of it is that when we took the matter to the Accountant General, he told us plainly that he does not know anything about the payment of salaries”.
This, according to them, “what makes the whole thing complex as they do not know who to complain to. Besides, Terrence with his larger then life image is not ready to listen to any person. And if you complain so much, he will stop your salary outrightly”.
Things have gone completely hay wire under the present administration, unlike in the previous ones when the office of the Accountant General was the right place to go and lodge complaints about issues of salary and pension. But now, Terrence, a complete stranger without civil service knowledge and background, is now in charge of duties that should under normal circumstances be done by the office of the Accountant General.
