From Okey Sampson, Umuahia
Former councillors in Abia who served in various Local Government Areas of the state from 1999 to 2022, have met to press for the payment of their unpaid severance and other allowances, which they said were long overdue.
The councillors who met at the Umuahia township stadium, expressed their dismay and frustration over the non payment of their statutory entitlements over the years.
They said Abia which prides itself as the number one state in the federation, was the only state in the country yet to pay ex-councillors their severance and other allowances.
Chairman of the ex-councillors, Tony Agbanyim told Hon Darlington Nwakocha, a former Senator, who was represented at the meeting of how his members have been owed their severance and other statutory allowances since they left office.
Agbanyim said as a result of this, must of them have died and others seriously sick due to hardship occasioned by non payment of their allowances.
He said Abia is the only state in the country which former councillors have not been paid their severance allowances, adding that if the present administration in the state could pay salary arrears of workers owed by previous governments in the state, nothing should stop it from paying the ex-councillors who served the state meritoriously.
He said since government is a continuum, that the present government should find a way to pay them, stressing that if meeting with the Governor could bring the solution, they were ready.
The senator’s representative while responding, said a worker is entitled to his wages, adding that they ought to have been paid before now.
He equally advised them to put up a strong worded petition to the Speaker of Abia House of Assembly for deliberation.