Staff of the Imo state Government house, Owerri, who ordinarily should be envied for being close to the seat of power are said to be suffering financial distress, hunger, lack and deprivation, arising from the non payment of their allowances and salaries for no fault of theirs.
A government house source who pleaded anonymity lamented that, “despite working for very long amidst hazards and closing late most times, we are owed several months 4 weeks allowance that are meant to cushion the effect of our tasking assignments. After all the stress, we are yet to receive our salary for January.”
It was also gathered that most of the appointees are contemplating resigning their appointments as what they are experiencing is not what they expected or bagained for. “The appointees have not been given imprests with which to run their offices for several months now. This has frustrated and made them lose interest, culminating in their low performance index.”
Countinuing, the source said, “from the way things are in the state now, there is nothing to show that the state government received allocation for month of January.”
“It is frustrating that people who have families, dependents and attendant responsibilities will toil from morning till night on daily basis amidst life threatening hazards and at the end of the month, they will not be paid commensurate allowances and other entitlements. Yet they are expected to put in their best.”
Some concerned Imolites who spoke to this reporter on condition of anonymity, expressed disgust at what they described as Governor Uzodinma’s alleged penchant for subjecting workers in the state to untold hardship, lack and deprivation by creating bottle necks that hinder prompt payment of their entitlements.
“Look at the humongous amount earmarked for different sectors in the 2021 budget, yet at the end of the day, payment of salaries, allowances and other entitlements captured in the budget will become a problem.”
