Hundreds of former appointees from Governor Hope Uzodimma’s first term in Imo State are contemplating legal action to recover unpaid salaries and severance packages. These individuals, mainly Special Advisers (SA) and totaling nearly five hundred, are struggling financially after losing their positions and lacking adequate resources.
Despite being officially appointed on February 23, 2023, they only started receiving salaries in August 2023. They left office on January 16, 2024, when Governor Uzodimma dissolved the State Expanded Executive Council. Since then, they have not received any further payments for their salary arrears or severance allowances, as stipulated by law. The former appointees are frustrated by the lack of communication from the government over the past eight months.
One leader of the group expressed frustration, stating, “We have yet to receive any payment or updates regarding our salary arrears or severance allowances. It feels like we were used for the Governor’s re-election and then abandoned.”
Efforts to address the issue with the Imo State Government have reportedly been ineffective, with no government officials addressing their concerns. However, a former Special Adviser from Mbano mentioned he had not heard of any plans to take legal action and suggested that serving Imo State was a privilege. He advocated for resolving the matter through dialogue.
Conversely, a former Special Adviser from Orlu LGA indicated that they are gathering funds to hire a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) to pursue the issue in court, while avoiding contact with colleagues close to the governor. “Government is a continuum. Even if we don’t receive our payments now, we will keep fighting. We have official appointment letters from the Imo State Government,” he said.