BY VINCENT UJUMADU
ABOUT 2000 work ers of Anambra State origin whose employment was terminated by the Abia State Government penultimate Monday stormed the Government House, Awka pleading with Governor Peter Obi to absorb them into the state civil service.

Looking dejected as they marched to the House of Assembly and the Government House, the former Abia workers said they were no longer sure of how to take care of their families because their names had been removed from the Abia State Government pay roll.

One of them, Chief Dom Eze, who was a director in Abia State, said their ordeal began on August 25 this year when they received a circular informing them of their disengagement. He said they had come to their state of origin to know the response of their state government over the matter asking, “if we are rejected in another state, will our state reject us?”

In an emotion laden voice, another disengaged worker, Mrs. Monica Aniebonam, who hails from Awkuzu in Oyi Local Council, said her children were still young, adding that her family had lived in Abia for over 20 years. She thanked the State Government for the warm reception accorded the returnees and prayed God to touch the heart of the state governor to help them.

Mr. Titus Okafor, who was also a victim was particularly happy that Anambra State had started paying the minimum wage, adding that they were also impressed with the befitting secretariat the government constructed for workers in the state government and the government’s ensuring that retired civil servants receive their gratuities in less than two months of their retirement.

Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Mr. Paul Odenigbo, who addressed the sacked workers described the situation as sad. He said: “We are working hard to ensure the cohesion of Ndigbo and we are allowing the issue of minimum wage to divide us. It is so unfortunate.

I know that our Governor, Mr. Peter Obi had visited Abia State as a result of this matter, but that visit did not yield any result. The issue of minimum wage is a general problem. We in Anambra State are equally battling with it here but we are going to put everything in God’s hand.”

He commended the Anambra workers in Abia for comporting themselves in such an orderly manner, assuring that the State Government must look into it with a view to solving their problems.