By PAMELA EBOH, Awka

Former officials of the Anambra State Government appointed into various offices by immediate past governor Willie Obiano have lamented the death of 42 of their members within two years of leaving office – allegedly due to hardship arising from non-payment of their severance allowances.

They disclosed this during the meeting of the ex-appointees held over the weekend at Best Western Meloch Hotels Ifite Awka, the state capital.

The forum of ex-appointees appealed to the incumbent governor of the state, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, to facilitate the payment of their severance allowances.

They however observed a minute silence for their departed colleagues, noting that the forum still remained a formidable force.

“This is a grand reunion. The event is a platform to tell Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo that the former appointees are a strong formidable force he will count on because the former appointees were instrumental to the 21/21 former Governor Willie Obiano got in 2017.

“42 former appointees have died without their severance packages and their families are currently suffering without help,” one of their spokesmen said.

In his speech the Anambra State Deputy Governor, Dr Onyekachukwu Ibezim, who was also a former political appointee under Obiano, urged the former aides not to despair but to trust in God.

He said: “Even Governor Soludo was a former appointee to Obiano and as such there is no reason to panic.”

A usually reliable source, however, toldNews Expressthat the former appointees might lose their demand for severance allowance.

The source said: “Severance allowance is paid only if it is stated in the contract/appointment paper of the appointee by the employer. I’m not sure such contractual provisions were accommodated in the appointment papers of Obiano’s appointees.”