..Accuse Govt of discrimination in employment slots
Temporary employees of Imo State Persons With Physical Disabilities (PWPDs) have appealed to Governor Senator Hope Uzodinma to release monthly stipends to their members.
The group also lamented that they are being discriminated against whenever there is employment slots reserved for them.
The group said this in a chat with Inclusive News Network, INN.
One of the employees, Mr Ugoenyi Kenneth, with physical disability and has a wife with six children, lamented that the present governor stopped paying the disabled temporary staff stipends in LGAs in Imo state.
He pleaded with the state government to pay the stipends.
“I am one of the temporary staff in (Orlu LGA) the present Governor stop paying the disabled temporary staff salaries in LGAs in IMO state we want you to help us plead with the government to pay us the salary as many of us are married with children.”
“They were paying us 5000 naira as monthly stipends for 25 disabled temporary staff in Orlu LGA likewise others LGAs like Orlu west LGA, Ideato South LGA, Nkwerre LGA just to mention but a few.”
INN learnt that the payment started on July, 2007 but was stopped by Gov Uzodinma on March, 2020.
Another member of the temporary staff and Chairman of Disabled People in Orlu West zone, Orisaeke Ikenna told INN that the appointments of their members were supposed to be confirmed after six months before then governor of the state in 2007, Chief Achike Udenwa left office the same year and handed over to Ikedi Ohakim.
“We were employed since 2007 in LGA areas in Imo State for our appointments to be confirmed after six months before then governor of the state, Achike Udenwa left office the same year and handed over to Ikedi Ohakim, then whenever employment slots come to the various LGA the local government chairman will use it to confirm the appointments of the able persons and left the disable ones,.
“We didn’t bother since they were still paying us the little stipends as our salaries for temporary staff in the local government but the issue now is the present governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma stopped our salaries after paying January and February since then we have written to governor and all including a visit to the S.A to the Governor on Special Citizen even to Accountant General of the state still no result and our people are finding it difficult to cope without that stipend.
Imo West senatorial district is made up of 12 LGA out of 27 LGAs in the state.
Likewise, Victor agusiegbe, a married man and a member of the affected staff from Ideato South, added that the government discriminated against the group by confirming the appointment of the able person and left them behind hence the reason for their present predicament.
“The government discriminated against us by confirming the appointment of the able person and left us behind and that is why we are suffering now”, he said.
The group pleaded with the government to settle them with the stipends owed so they won’t have to suffer more than they are already experiencing coupled with the Covid-19 pandemic.
INN gathered that the number of disabled temporary staff is 18 persons with physical Disability from Ideato South Local Government.