Local government authorities in Ebonyi State have been urged to look into prolonged non-payment of gratuities to retired local government workers.
They were also told to redeem the dilapidated state of public schools infrastructure across the communities in the state.
These were among top concerns raised by stakeholders during the just concluded town hall meetings in six local government areas of the state.
The town hall meetings were organised by a Civil Society Organisation, ENOUGH is ENOUGH, in partnership with Human Rights and Conflict Resolution Centre, Abakaliki.
It was part of the organisations’ 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 six pilot LGAs of the project: 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 event, Innocent Alifu and Emmanuel Egwu from Ishielu and Afikpo LGAs respectively regretted 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 deceased staff.
Alifu said: “Retired local government staff are owed gratuities for over six 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 Nwodom and Elder Chibueze Ukpa, from Ebonyi and Onicha LGAs, 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 revitalising 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, Susan 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.
Also Read
- Nigeria moves closer to fresh census, Tinubu to set up committee
- Bodija explosion: Court refuses Oyo justice ministry’s application to take over prosecution
- Aiyedatiwa appoints Pa Fasoranti’s son as SSG, reappoints advisers
- ACF opposes VAT hike, submits recommendations to National Assembly
- Tinubu receives NIPSS report on digital economy, reaffirms commitment to youth empowerment, job creation
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 being executed in Ebonyi, Nasarawa, Ondo and Yobe States.
Follow The Eagle Online Channel on WhatsApp
