COVID-19: Imo Health Workers on Hunger Strike Over Unpaid Allowance

Health workers recruited over COVID-19 in Imo State have embarked on hunger strike over the State Government’s inability to pay their allowance.

According to one of the workers who begged to remain anonymous, he stated that since his recruitment in June, they have only been paid for three months, June, July and September as August was skipped in the payment.

The Father of two disclosed that the workers have reached out to the State Commissioner for Health, Mrs Damaris Osunkwo who told them that their payment was out of her hands as it was still at the desk of the Governor, Hope Uzodinma.

The Commissioner was quoted as saying, “it is out of my hands but in the hands of the Governor.”

Speaking with another worker who is a father of two and also begged to remain anonymous, he said, “I was recruited in May and since then, have only been paid for three months. The Federal Government released funds for States to pay the health workers but so far, Imo State Government have refused to pay us. This is the festive period and we have nothing to give to our family. Our children are hungry and we can not do anything because the government did not live up to their promises.”

Receipt of last payment

When Newsleverage reporter, Nneka Torti reached out to the Commissioner for Health, her Assistant who refused to mention his name threatened to deal with her if the report is published.

The personal assistant made it clear that the Ministry does not have to give any information out and will deal severely with our reporter if the information gets out.

On the 21st of December, 2020, all Imo State workers embarked on eight days warning strike over the inability of the government to implement appropriate payment according to the civil service rules.

They highlighted the issues as non-payment, staggered payment, and underpayment of workers salaries since February 2020, immediate conclusion and implementation of the N30,000 National Minimum Wage and reversal of payment of salaries to the office of Accountant General through the payroll system, among others.

The State Government, however, countered the reason for the strike, stating that the workers were asked to stay home over the upsurge of the second phase of COVID-19 in the country.