In a poignant plea, former aides of Chief Willie Obiano, the ex-Governor of Anambra State, have beseeched the incumbent Governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, to fulfill their outstanding severance packages. The emotional appeal was voiced during a reunion meeting held in Awka on Sunday.
Expressing their distress, the aides revealed a staggering toll, disclosing that a disheartening 42 members of the former Governor’s appointees had passed away within a mere two years of exiting office. Compounding their grief, they highlighted that these 42 individuals had not received their due severance allowances.
Against this backdrop, the former aides implored Governor Soludo to intervene and expedite the release of their long-awaited severance allowances. This appeal echoes a similar call made by Chief Obiano himself just a month ago, wherein he emphasized that the compensation and the placement of some of his aides in Soludo’s administration were integral components of the support extended for Soludo’s succession.
Dr Onyekachukwu Ibezim, the Deputy Governor of Anambra State, who was a former political appointee under Obiano, addressed the gathering. Encouraging the former aides not to lose hope, he urged them to place their trust in God. Drawing a parallel, he reminded them that even Governor Soludo had once been an appointee of Chief Obiano, assuring them that there was no cause for alarm.
This impassioned plea for severance pay underscores the challenges faced by the former Governor’s aides and the pressing need for resolution in the face of their colleagues’ untimely deaths.
