Abia: ABSUTH  Staff Protest 21 Months Salary Arrears, Plus Non Payment of April/May Wages, Say: We Are Hungry”

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

Medical and Health Workers at the  Abia State University Teaching Hospital, ABSUTH  on Tuesday, June 25, 2024, embarked on a protest march, to press home their request for the payment of their April and May salaries.

They also demanded the payments of their accumulated 21 months’ Salary arrears.

The Source reports that Governor Alex Otti of Abia State had, during his regular Media chat on  Friday, June 21, 2024,  informed that all segments of the State workforce are up to date in the payment of their salaries.

Governor Otti also noted that since mounting the saddle in May 2023, his administration has been  paying salaries of workers promptly and regularly.

However, his claims were  disputed on Saturday, June 22, by the Academic Staff Union of Universities,  ASUU, of the State-owned University in Uturu.

In a statement jointly issued by Dr Chidi Mba and Dr Victor Obisike Chairman and Secretary, respectively,   ASUU- ABSU noted that the reality on ground is different from the impression being created by the  Governor.

The Union, therefore, called on the Government to refrain from politicizing the issue of salary payments at ABSU as peoples health, family needs and other critical issues like workers productivity are dependent on it.

The ABSUTH  workers who trooped out in their numbers, blocked the Hospital entrance gate ,and marched round the hospital premises ,chanting; “Governor  Otti pay  us our April and May salaries, pay us our 21 months salary arrears; what you are doing now is not what you promised us during the electioneering campaign etc”

Addressing the Media on behalf of the protesting health workers, the Abia State Chairman of the Nigeria Medical Association NMA, Dr Isaiah Abali, expressed regrets over the non payment of salaries of the workers particularly their April and May 2024  salaries.

“The most important thing you can do for workers all over the world is to pay them their wages as at and when due. Once, they have performed their jobs, there should be no reason why they should not be paid. People in the private sector of the economy don’t sleep once the month is ending until they pay their workers the little they  could.

“We believe Government can do better in that regard. Our people are suffering. ABSUTH workers are hungry high and low, and all of us are saying that Government should let the workers breath .

“We are calling on our amiable Governor to attend to us.We have seen his giant strides in the area of infrastructural renewal,but we are pleading that the renewal process should also be extended to the welfare of ABSUTH  workers.

“It does not make sense for workers to trek  along well reconstructed roads to and from work, because of lack of transport fares.

“So we are appealing to the Government to come to the aid of the workers who are currently very hungry .

“We have been trying to hold back the workers. But if you push people hard to the wall,  you can envisage what will happen. That is how revolution starts. But, we don’t want revolution now.

“We want peace, and we want the workers to get their salaries. Whatever be the glitches besetting their payment module should not be our concern. We should not be made to suffer ,for what does not concern us .

“If they (Government) are  having issues with its new payment arrangements, they should pay us with the old module.

“Majority of our workers watch their children sent out of schools,due to their inability to pay their school fees. We can’t pay for our utility bills .

“We are pleading so that the whole thing will not snowball into unnecessary bitterness .We are not politicians.We are only saying: pay us our salary ” the NMA Chairman stated

Also Speaking, Chairman of ABSUTH Medical and  Health Workers Union, Emeka Ariwodo, urged the Government to keep faith with its electioneering promise of paying the workers their 21 months salary areas, as well as their April and May 2024 salaries.

“If by the end of today, Government fails to pay us this protest march will continue until such a time they pay us .

Prof. Ijeoma Nduka the Chief Medical Director, CMD, of ABSUTH was   conspicuously absent. during the protest. Efforts to reach her were unsuccessful as at the time of filing this report.