By Joseph Edegbo
Kaduna (Nigeria)–The wife of late, Emmanuel Idoko Ebiega, Mary in Kaduna, northwest of the country has petitioned President Mohammadu Buhari over the nonpayment of her husband’s death benefit.
According to the petition which was made available to Africa Prime News, Mr. Ebiega had served Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria for 33 years before he died on 5thJuly, 2013.
“My husband worked for 33 years and died in the office on 5th July, 2013. After his death, my children and I have faced great embarrassment of different kinds ranging from ejection from the residential quarters to being pushed out of the health insurance scheme to payment of rents, school fees and as a result, we are bleeding financially.
Your Excellency Sir, it will interest you to know that my family is not alone in this as most of the bereaved families in this institution have been subjected to several afflictions and pains due to the non payment of death benefits of the bread winners. As if that was not enough, some heartless cabals at the office of the Head of Service have constituted themselves and they are now extorting money from bereaved families who are already frustrated with the deceit of processing their loved ones death benefits.
“We have sought for interventions through Ahmadu Bello University authorities who have also written several letters of appeal to the Head of Civil Service but to no avail. The Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasiru El-Rufai has also had to intervene on our behalf by writing to the afore mentioned but unfortunately, all interventions have yielded no results, so far. After four years we were still told that the Federal Government has not released funds for the death benefits, but the question here, is, “how long should we wait?,” she asked.
