Stakeholders raise concern over huge unpaid gratuities, decaying public schools in Ebonyi LGAs

Stakeholders have urged local government authorities in Ebonyi state to look into prolonged non payment of gratuities to retired local government workers.

 

They also called on the third tier of government to urgently redeem the dilapidated infrastructural facilities in basic public schools across the communities in the state.

 

The above Issues and more were among top concerns raised during the just concluded stakeholders Town hall meetings in six local government areas of the state: Abakaliki, Afikpo, Ebonyi, Ezza North, Ishielu and Onicha.

 

The town hall meetings were organised by a civil society organization, ENOUGH is ENOUGH, in partnership with Human Rights and Conflict Resolution Centre, Abakaliki.

 

It held from 26th to 31st August as part of the organizations’ activities in the implementation of myLGA project, a local government accountability project under the Office of The Citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

 

Stakeholders across the 6 pilot LGAs of the project in the state, comprising Abakaliki, Afikpo, Ishielu, Ezza North, Onicha and Ebonyi were unanimous in decrying the pitiable condition of retired workers from the local government system in the state.

 

Speaking at the events, Innocent Alifu and Emmanuel Egwu from Ishielu and Afikpo LGAs respectively, expressed regret that countless numbers among them have died while waiting endlessly for their terminal benefits.

 

Another, Chinasa Ogbu observed that families of diseased workers are languishing in penury due to the failure of most local government areas to settle the death benefits of their diseased staff.

 

Alifu said: “Retired local government staff are owed gratuities for over 6 years.

 

“The Governor has been gracious enough to settle those of the retired state workers.

 

“The local government retirees are appealing that such a gesture should be extended to us to save our lives.

 

“Many have died because of lack of money to seek medical care at old age.”

 

Many others including Philomina Nwachi, Oko Azu Oko, Michael Oko Ewa as well as Thomas Nwod om and Elder Chibueze Ukpa from Ebonyi and Onicha LGA”s respectively, decried the gross decline in teaching and learning in public schools, attributing it to both infrastructural decay and government general poor attention to public schools.

 

They called on local government authorities to direct attention to revitalizing the lost status of public basic education in the state.

 

Other concerns raised by the stakeholders included high Rates and market Tolls often imposed on petty traders and market women by local government authorities as well as gross negligence of local roads, markets and other public Infrastructure meant to be maintained by the local government authorities.

 

Speaking on the objectives of the project, the Information Technology Lead for ENOUGH is ENOUGH, Nigeria, Oluwasegun Phillips explained: “Our mission is to let the citizens know their rights and power to make demands from the Government.”

 

Also speaking, the Monitoring and Evaluation Officer for Human Rights and Conflict Resolution Centre, Sussan Uroh and the Alternative Conflict Resolution Officer, Moses Ekeke said the project would create better understanding between the citizens and their local government area leaders thereby eliminating fake news, fostering better environment for mutual cooperation in developing the communities.

 

In all the local government areas, the Council chairmen, their representatives and/or prominent Council authorities were on ground to interact with the citizens.

 

Highlight of the meeting was the inauguration of the Help Desk officers of The Office Of The Citizen in all the project local government areas of the state to serve as liaison between the Local government area Chairmen and the people.

 

myLGA pilot project is executed in Ebonyi, Nasarawa, Ondo and Yobe states.