By Kamsi Anayo
No fewer than 42 appointees of the former Governor of Anambra state, Willie Obiano have died within two years of leaving office.
This was disclosed during the meeting of the ex-appointees in Awka, the state capital, at the weekend.
The former appointees lamented that 42 of their members had died without receiving their severance allowances.
As a consequence, they appealed to the incumbent governor of the state, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, to facilitate the payment of their severance allowances.
Observing a minute silence for their departed colleagues, they said the forum still remained a formidable force.
They said, “This is a grand reunion.
The event is a platform to tell Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo that the former appointees are a strong formidable force he will count on because the former appointees were instrumental to the 21/21 former Governor Willie Obiano got in 2017.
“42 former appointees have died without their severance packages and their families are currently suffering without help.”
Speaking, the Anambra State Deputy Governor, Dr Onyekachukwu Ibezim, who was a former political appointee under Obiano urged the former aides not to despair but to trust in God.
He said even Governor Soludo was a former appointee to Obiano and as such there was no reason to panic.
A reliable source, however told our correspondent that the former appointees might lose their demand for severance allowance.
The source said, “Severance allowance is paid only if it is stated in the contract/ appointment paper of the appointee by the employer. I’m not sure such contractual provisions were accommodated in the appointment papers of Obiano’s appointees.”
