Over one thousand staff members of the moribund Anambra State Water Corporation have been formally relieved of their jobs by the State Government.
Their sack was confirmed by the state Commissioner for Public Utilities and Water Resources, Emeka Ezenwanne, on Thursday.
He said the workers were sacked in line with the Anambra State Water Law 2015 which repealed the edit establishing the agency and other general conduct of their staff.
“Anambra State Government under Governor Willie Obiano is a law-abiding government. Yes, we have issued a letter of termination to the former staff of Anambra State Water Board Corporation. The letter is in line with the Anambra State water law 2015 that repealed the edit that established the water board.
“Again, they have not come up to account for the money they took from the state government account through garnishing. EFCC is currently investigating it.
“They were sacked due to their general conduct which is affecting the entire process including the unbundling processes stated in the 2015 Anambra State Water Law. After the garnishing, they have continued to make other efforts…we don’t know what they are up to,” Ezenwanne stated.
He noted that the State Government was still providing water to the populace through Urban water supply and others.
A notice signed by one Rev Dr P C Amanzechukwu was reportedly pasted last month at the headquarters of the Ministry of Public Utilities said that the termination of the appointment of the affected staff members took effect from 2015.
The notice reads: “The officers-in-charge, Anambra State Water Board Corporation (defunct), Awka. Formal notification of the termination of the appointment of the erstwhile staff of the Anambra State Water Corporation.
“I am directed to refer to the Executive Council’s directive of December 9, 2019, and to formally convey the notification of the termination of the appointment of the erstwhile staff of the defunct water corporation with effect from June 2, 2015, based in the cumulative effects of the Anambra state water supply and sanitation Law 2015 and reorganization of the state’s water policy.
“Please advise the staff to report to the ministry to collect their letter and take the necessary steps to protect the moveable and immovable assets of the company.”
In his reaction to the sack, a retired staff of the corporation, Mr. Hilary Izuagu, insisted that they were still employees of the state civil service.
He said: “The State Government is owing us salary from January 2012 to July 2020 and still counting.
“I urge the State Government to abide by all the provisions in the Anambra State Water and Sanitation Law 2015 and other extant laws of the land while dealing with us.”
Izuagu explained that the money the agency took through garnishing was paid to their deserving staff accordingly.
He denied knowledge of the EFCC investigation of the disbursement.
