By PETER OKUTU, ABAKALIKI

THE Ebonyi State government is presently trying to come to terms with the shocking reality of the sacking or disengagement of its indigenes by the Abia State government. The development became a matter of deep concern when over 80 Ebonyi indigenes who recently returned from Abia State staged a peaceful protest at the Government House, Abakaliki and other relevant government agencies in the state.

The indigenes who were mostly from Ebonyi South and North senatorial districts of the state were seen carrying placards with various inscriptions: ‘A Sojourner has a home’, ‘We have come home for sense of belonging’, ‘Ebonyi State, salt of the nation, we embrace you’, ‘East or West, North or South, Home is Better’, ‘Governor T.A. Orji says no to dual citizenship, His Excellency, Ebonyi State Governor, kindly receive your people’. They moved around the vicinity, chanting songs that expressed their despondency and grievances.

What was most shocking while the protest lasted was the lack of attention given to them by representatives of the state government. However, Vanguard Metro, VM, gathered that they were directed to the office of the Head of Service for proper documentation and possible assistance.

the sacked workers

Disengagement of non indigenes

But the Ebonyi State government had last month opined that the policy of Abia State government on the disengagement of non-indigenes in Abia State civil service was a mere rumour. So they were caught unawares when their disengaged indigenes from the Abia civil service stormed the state in search of employment or redeployment.

A government official, who spoke with VM on condition of anonymity, disclosed that some of the disengaged staff from Abia State are presently residing in his house in Abakaliki, pending when the state government would intervene in the matter. He lamented that the presence of the disengaged staff who hail from his local government and home has seriously affected his lean resources as he could no longer afford three-square meal for his family.

Spokesman for the group, Mr. Okoro Chibuike Uduma, pointed out that the reason they were disengaged was because the Abia State Governor, Chief T.A Orji, wanted to implement the payment of the N18,000 minimum wage for only indigenes of Abia State, adding that most of them were disengaged from Abia State Local Government Education Authority and local government areas, among others.

He said: “We are public servants from Abia State. The Governor of Abia State said we have to go back to our state to enable him pay the new minimum wage. We have been disengaged from service and that’s why we are here so that we can be re-absorbed into Ebonyi State Civil Service.

“Abia State treated us as if we have no home by sending all Abia State non-indigenes back to their home states, even those who have been working with them right from the old Imo State. We have our trust in the Almighty God and have accepted to return to our father land in good faith since it is not a desert.

“We sincerely plead with the government to grant us succour by accepting and redeploying us to the public service and on time too to save us from untimely death and to tell Abia State that Ebonyi State is capable of taking care of her indigenes. The age-long tradition of being our brothers keepers cannot be abandoned”.

Also, another protester, Mrs Kalu M.C from Ekoli Edda, Afikpo South Local Government area of the state, who had worked for 28 years in Abia State, stated that the disengagement plan executed by Abia State government placed them in a hopeless situation as some of them have turned beggars in their fatherland.

The mother of six children used the opportunity to call on the state government to provide them with jobs so that they could carry on with their lives, lamenting that Abia State government treated them as aliens in a foreign land.

“We are helpless. They have removed our names from the payroll of Abia State Civil Service and up till now we are just hanging. It is real, we have been disengaged because Abia State government wants to pay N18,000 minimum wage. That is the only reason we were disengaged,” she lamented.

A copy of the disengagement letters signed by the Board Secretary, Abia State Universal Basic Education Board, ASUBEB, Umuahia, Chief Emma Igwe reads thus: “I am directed to notify you of your disengagement from the service of Abia State Universal Basic Education Board with effect from 1st October, 2011. This is due to ongoing re-organisation in the service. While appreciating your past services, please accept our best wishes in your future endeavours”.

In a related development, the Commissioner for Information and State Orientation in the state, Mr. Chike Onwe stressed that the state government would not be part of any process that would cause disaffection among citizens because of issues bordering on indigenisation. He added that non-indigenes in the state were gainfully occupying sensitive position in the state, even among the state executive council members.

“So disengaging people from service on account of place of origin is backward thinking. I think the Ndigbo is a united people and we shall not allow anything to disintegrate this unity but I think it will be unfortunate if such a thing happens. And until it is made real we will not take any official stand or action.

“Since we are talking about true federalism, we cannot achieve such by being sectional or calling some indigenes and some others non-indigenes. So for us to achieve true federalism, we must get people to feel at home wherever they are.

“We are looking at a situation where an individual from Kaduna comes to Ebonyi State and stand for any election and the man from Ebonyi goes to Lagos to stand for election and gets elected, serve his term, people. That’s where we are aspiring to”.