By NewsCritic Reporters
Over 150 teaching and non-teaching staff of Umunneochi Local Government Education Authority employed in 2022 by the Abia State Universal Basic Education Authority, ASUBEB, have appealed to Governor Alex Otti, OFR, to direct the payment of their outstanding salaries and issuance of verification codes to enable them participate in the ongoing verification of Abia State workforce.
In an appeal letter dated Tuesday 24th October, 2023 which was addressed to His Excellency, Gov Alex Otti, and signed by Okwudiri Esi and Anomiche Ogechi Uloma on behalf of 2022 Employed Staff of the Umunneochi LG Education Authority, said they were employed on the 5th of July 2022 by ASUBEB and have not been paid any salary from June 2023 till date.
In addition to this, the workers said that they have not been issued with verification codes in the ongoing verification exercise of the Abia civil and public servants. They stressed that this attitude towards them has destabilized their minds and put their families in disarray, because they are yet to understand why they were singled out for such unkind treatment.
The staffers further said that “it is on the basis of these that we decided to plead with your Excellency for your fatherly intervention and direction that our outstanding four months salary arrears be paid together with the release of our verification codes”, the letter states.
While commending Gov Otti for the able and transparent manner he has been piloting the affairs of the state since he took over the mantle of leadership in Abia, they pledged their unwavering commitment to service and said “we will continue to discharge our duties to the state with utmost loyalty and dedication.
NewsCritic online reports that Umunneochi has been a dark spot of kidnapping for a ransom and other forms of criminality, which led to mass exodus of teachers from the area due to insecurity. Also, it was gathered that some teachers were uploaded to Junior Secondary School from the Primary School, and needed to be replaced.
It was based on this situation that the Umunneochi Local Government Education Authority wrote to then Gov Okezie Ikpeazu to grant approval for the recruitment and replacement of 150 teachers, and 50 non academic staff which approval was given. There are fears that Gov Otti’s administration might be planning to offload the workers.
