Abia Workers Reject Political Involvement

Some civil servants in Abia have raised alarm over the activities of Abia Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs. Nwada Igwe, accusing her of dragging them into partisan politics.

The civil servants, who pleaded anonymity, told newsmen  in Umuahia on Thursday that they were forced to support the re-election bid of the state governor.

They said, “Anybody, who sees us in this uniform will think we are wearing them out of our own volition.

“We are nothing but a rented group because we are not part of these Ochendo Women, who go about with the governor.

“This is against our wish, but our commissioner is forcing the whole thing on us.”

Another civil servant from the same ministry said that the commissioner was always forcing them to use their meagre salary to buy all forms of uniforms in solidarity with the state governor.

He said, “This morning they told us that we are going to wear one of the many uniforms that is red in colour.

“When we came out, the commissioner started harassing us asking us whether we wanted to wear the same colour with the wife of the governor and that we should go home and change into a different colour.”

Another civil servant told newsmen that the civil servants needed to be left alone as the government had not done anything to improve their welfare.

“We are now wiser and will no longer be deceived and no amount of intimidation will make us change our mind as where to cast our votes,” he said.

When contacted, Igwe said that there was no truth in the allegation, as she had never forced any civil servant into politics.

She said that the workers were supposed to be neutral in their relationship with politicians.

“This is not true, why should I force a civil servant who is supposed to be neutral,” the commissioner said.

She said that what the ministry did was to use some of workers as ushers during public functions and we gave them T-shirts for the occasions free of charge.