Dear friends,
Let us not see this as politics. Kindly see this for what it is – a humanitarian call to save lives.
The guy in this picture, Patrick Ufere, is an alumnus of Abia State University, Uturu. He was so well fed and nourished that we nicknamed him Ezebunafo because of his protruded stomach.
This husband of a wife and father of four gifted children is a hardworking senior staff of Abia State Polytechnic, Aba, where he has meritoriously discharged his job for the past 15 years.
However, he is a beggar and destitute today for no fault of his. He has not been paid his salaries for the past 35 months. That is almost three long years.
Hunger, especially as it concerns his four lovely kids, knows no excuses. Landlord must collect his rent. The children are being driven from school for fees. The wife suffers the humiliation of hunger and shame of watching her children starve to death on installments. Sickness pays them regular but uninvited visits because of malnutrition.
In the face of all these, Ufere has contemplated suicide three times. He is presently depressed. He toys with the idea of ending it all.
This is neither an indictment of the governor nor criticism of his government. It is purely a management issue as the management appointed itself and owes nobody any explanation.
They are above the law.
Many other lecturers and workers at Abia Polytechnic, not just Ufere, are in this precarious and dehumanizing situation.
Can we overlook the government and save them?
I suggest that we do crowdfunding for Abia State Polytechnic lecturers and workers.
Thank you,
Ubanie Dannie
