Retired Permanent secretaries have urged the Abia State government to promptly pay their benefits, which include severance packages and gratuities, Cyber Reporters report.
In a statement issued in Umuahia, the state capital, on Thursday, the group’s spokesman, Mr. Nkwachukwu Agumuo, stated that because they were abruptly discharged from service, the Abia State government should have compensated them to allow them to rebuild their lives and those of their family members.
The organization praised Abia State Governor Alex Otti for his developmental projects and reminded him of the importance of responding to their request to prevent member discontent.
They stated that they had made several attempts to draw the attention of the state government to their plight, including visits to the Deputy Governor, Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly, Secretary to the State Government, and Commissioner for Justice to raise the issue with the governor.
The statement stated in parts: “It has become extremely important and pressing to bring to light our plight since October 2023, when our services in the state civil service were abruptly terminated. Since then, we have yet to receive our severance pay, furniture allowances, and gratuities.
“We are 30 permanent secretaries affected by this policy, and regrettably, we have taken several measures to get our voices heard, all to no avail.
“The silence from those relevant to our issue leaves much to be desired. This has left us in dire straits, financially and emotionally.
“All of us spent decades serving this state sacrificially for the good of the public. Our sudden and unceremonious retirement not only stripped us of our livelihoods but has also placed a stigma on our careers going forward and left us grappling with uncertainties regarding our future.”
In the same vein, the statement noted that families and dependants are suffering untold hardship from actions or inactions perpetrated by certain officers who the governor had rightly assigned to address their matter.
