By Nwabueze Okonkwo, ONITSHA

Backlog of unpaid salaries and gratuities among other benefits to no fewer than 4,000 former workers of Premier Breweries PLC, Ontsha, Anambra State, have been causing uproar in the state 14 years after they were disengaged.

The aggrieved ex-staff of once adjudged the second largest brewing company in the country and a public liability company based in Onitsha, Anambra State which specialized in brewing the famous Premier lager beer, have pleaded with the Anambra State Government to intervene and save them from untimely death.

The company, which Anambra State government is a shareholder had allegedly disengaged all its staff in 2000 without paying their backlog of  salaries and gratuities.

Some of the disengaged staff who lamented their ordeal, included Wilson Iweka, Clement Ike, Prince Godfrey Nwakobi, Michael Alaefuna, among others.

72-year- old Clement Ike who claimed to have joined Premier Breweries as a Senior Supervisor from Golden Guinea Breweries, Umuahia, Abia State, said he was among those disengaged by Premier Breweries in 2000 without pay.

Elder Wilson Iweka, who worked in the Production Department as Bottle Attendant from 1980 to 1996 and retired with a long service award, said life had not been easy for him since then.

According to him, if not that he joined a community vigilante services, he would have seen hell in this his old age.

Prince Nwakobi who also retired as a Senior Supervisor, said: “Premier Breweries closed operations in the year 2000 without paying any of us any dime. Production resumed few yerars after and it is currently producing table water but not yet beer. We are therefore pleading with the state government which has shares in the company to come to our rescue by paying us our outstanding salaries and other entitlements.”

However, reacting, the Company’s Legal Adviser, Tony Orunkoya,  said some time in 2003, the company appointed  a Receiver Manager who tabulated all the dues owed to all the retirees and settled them whole and entire.

Orunkoya who  also  doubles as company’s secretary, intended that any retiree who clams that he is still being owed, should be asked to produce his or her letter of engagement and  letter of disengagement from the company, to prove his or her point.

A former Managing Director of the company, Prof. Nnamdi Chukwura confirmed that he was sacked from the board without pay.