The welfare of pensioners from the Anambra State Water Corporation remains neglected, with their entitlements not captured in any formal agreement, despite the existence of a dedicated account payroll system.
A letter, signed by the association’s Chairman, Comrade Anthony Gbasuzo, the Secretary, Comrade Bede Umeadi and others, respectively, appealed to the governor for immediate intervention in their long-standing case.
In the letter addressed to Governor Charles Soludo, the Anambra State Water Corporation Workers Welfare Association requested that active staff of the defunct corporation be absorbed into the State Civil Service, while pensioners should be transferred to the Anambra State Pensions Board.
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The letter referenced an Industrial Arbitration Panel (IAP) award, as well as several issues, including unpaid salaries, pensions, and promotions.
The IAP, in a 2012 ruling, ordered the Anambra state government to pay all outstanding salaries and allowances to staff of the Anambra State Water Corporation, including pensions and gratuities for retirees.
It also directed the state to carry out appropriate promotions and salary adjustments for those still in service.
However, the state government failed to comply, prompting the affected workers through their union, the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporation, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE), to seek enforcement through the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) in Abuja.
Subsequently, the garnishee proceedings were moved to the NICN Enugu Division. On July 14, 2014, the court issued a garnishee absolute order instructing Fidelity Bank to release N1.86 billion from Anambra State Government accounts. Of this amount, N1.5 billion was allocated for the Water Corporation, and N360 million for the Anambra State Environmental Protection Agency (ANSEPA).
Despite this, the government allegedly failed to honour the remaining obligations of the IAP award. The union returned to court to enforce the balance, leading to another garnishee absolute order for N471 million in January 2022. The State indicated an intention to appeal on Jan. 12, 2022, but never filed the appeal.
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Negotiations followed, with AUPCTRE proposing a three-part payment plan totalling N933 million for outstanding salaries from 2012 to 2018. However, this plan was reportedly ignored, and instead, the government carried out a verification exercise and actions not included in the original proposal.
Speaking on the situation, Mr Hilary Izuagwu, Head of Accounts and a member of the Welfare Association, lamented that over 400 former employees have died since the crisis began, while many others are bedridden or unable to fend for themselves.
He noted that their children and dependents live in poverty, despite the government’s outstanding debts to them.
Izuagwu also criticised the lack of transparency in the government’s decision to reduce the workers’ total claims from N2.79 billion to N1.56 billion without consultation.
He condemned the dismissal and termination of workers, which he said contravene the Anambra State Edict No. 3 of 1999 and provisions of the yet-to-be-implemented Water Supply and Sanitation (WSS) law.
“We condemn in the strongest terms the refusal by the Anambra state government to pay the salaries of its workers in the Water Corporation. This represents the worst form of unfair labour practice in Nigeria,” he said.
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Mr Kingsley Nwabuwa, Assistant Information Officer and a staff member of the defunct agency, expressed shock at claims that the state had paid off workers and reabsorbed willing employees.
“These reports are simply false. We have not been paid, and no meaningful reintegration has occurred,” he said, appealing to Governor Soludo to urgently intervene and save the affected workers and their families from continued hardship, especially amid worsening economic conditions in the country.
The Anambra State Water Corporation, along with the Anambra State Environmental Protection Agency (ANSEPA), Volunteer Service Agency, and Anambra State Marketing Company Ltd., was officially shut down in 2012 by the state government. Over 1,000 staff members were laid off as part of the closure.
