A staff member of the Greater Port Harcourt City Development Authority (GPCDA), Rivers State, has reportedly died as a result of her inability to pay medical bills.

A source within the agency disclosed to News Express on Sunday that “the staff of the agency are owed salaries for the past six months by the Rivers State Government.”

The deceased, whose name was given as Mrs Ipalibo Erekosima, died as a result of complications arising from untreated hypertension and kidney infection. She was of Kalabari extraction and a native of Buguma in Asari-Toru Local Government Area of the state.

According to a source, who pleaded anonymity, Ipali, as she was generally known, was, until her death, a cleaner who was very diligent in discharging her duties.

The source told News Express: “She was so good at her job that she was converted from a casual worker to a permanent staff by the former administrator of the agency, Dame Aleruchi Cookey-Gam.

“The late Mrs. Erekosima also won an award and was later attached to the boardroom where she regularly worked to provide cleaning services before and after meetings. Many of her colleagues described her as hardworking and easy-going.

“She took ill after she was transferred out of her duty post by the new administrator, Mr. Desmond Akawor. That transfer meant that she could no longer get some tips which she used to support herself when salaries were delayed.”

The daughter of the deceased, who simply gave her name as Justina, confirmed the death of her mother and the untold hardship she faced during her ill health due to the non-payment of her salaries for six months, lamenting that “the family is yet to get enough money for her burial.”

Another source within GPCDA confirmed the difficulties the staff have been facing. According to him, “Many of us have been ejected from our houses and our children are out of schools, due to our inability to pay our rents and school fees. I am so sad that we lost our sister Ipali.

“The truth is that the health of many of us has started failing because we neither have money to feed nor to pay for medical treatment. Governor Nyesom Wike has been unfair to workers in this state.”

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