By Ugochukwu Alaribe

ABA—More than four years after non-indigenous workers were disengaged from Abia State civil service, help appears to be on the way as the Federal Government has said the problem was receiving necessary attention.

Recall that the disengaged workers had petitioned President Muhammadu Buhari, intimating him of how on October, 2012, Abia State Government disengaged over 4,000 of them, who were termed non-indigenes, from the state workforce without any monetary compensation.

The workers, who stated that 79 of their members had died, lamented that the unlawful disengage-ment was carried out without regard to those who had put in almost 35 years of service and were not given any terminal benefit and urged the President to prevail on the state government to pay them off.

In a letter addressed to the disengaged workers, dated March 16 and signed on behalf of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice by Director, Citizens Rights Department, Ministry of Justice, F. R. Bebu, entitled Discrimination of Nigerians in Abia State: Plight of Sacked Workers in the State (Re: Acknowledgement of Petition), the Minister acknowledged receipt of the petition of the workers.

It read in part, “I am directed by the Honoura-ble Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice to acknowledge the receipt of your petition, add-ressed to the President and to inform you that your petition is receiving the necessary attention.”