Abia Hospital Management Board workers lock out directors over alleged slashed salaries

Staff of the Abia State Hospital Management Board, HMB, Umuahia, on Tuesday staged what they described as a ‘peaceful protest’ to register their displeasure over alleged slash of their May, June and July 2024 salaries.

The workers, during the protest, sealed the offices of the Chief Executive of the the HMB, Odochi Azubuike, Director of Finance, Awa Odo and the Director of Administration, Mr Chidozie Emezue, accusing them intimidation and insensitivity.

According to the HMB staff, who were led by David Otuiheneme, the chairman of Allied Action Congress in the organization, and Chidinma Nwokeoma, chairperson of Medical and Health Workers Union, many of the workers have been experiencing regular and unexplained deductions in their salaries since May while some those having accounts in a particular bank are yet to receive their July 2024 salaries.

They praised Governor Alex Otti for keeping to his promise of paying them on or before 28th of every month but lamented that the slashing of their salaries for three months in this period of economic hardship is unacceptable.

David Otuiheneme said, “Our governor is paying us regularly and he means well for us but unfortunately, we have been experiencing slashing of our salaries for three months. N48,000 was slashed from my own salary and despite our complaints, our directors have not called us for a meeting.

“We know that our governor is not aware of this, that is why we are appealing for his intervention.”

He further alleged that a medical doctor working in HMB had his salary slashed by over N100,000, saying that the office of the Accountant General of Abia State and the management of the agency should bring the situation to an end and also refund all slashed salaries to the workers.

But the Chairman of Homeland Security in the state, Chukwunenye Alajemba, who arrived the HMB headquarters with his officers, pleaded with the protesting workers to unseal the directors’ offices and allow them to get to work.

The Homeland Security chairman, who offered to dialogue with the union leaders in his office on Wednesday, assured them that their grievances would be channeled to appropriate quarters for solutions.

The peaceful approach of the Abia security outfit’s Chairman made the workers to unseal the directors’ offices, two hours after.

However, efforts by journalists to hear from the the accused directors were not successful, as they were not available in their offices, even after they were unsealed.