The staff member identified as Christopher Abonyi - a level 16 officer - reportedly died of a heart attack on Sunday morning.
One of the 20 Enugu State Water Corporation workers recently sacked by Governor Peter Mbah for not meeting the minimum N50 million monthly internally generated revenue target on water sales has reportedly died.
The staff member identified as Christopher Abonyi - a level 16 officer - reportedly died of a heart attack on Sunday morning.
SaharaReporters reported on January 30, 2024, that Governor Mbah’s administration had sacked no fewer than 20 staff members of the state water corporation for not meeting their monthly IGR target.
The newspaper reported that the 20 workers who were issued termination letters on Monday, January 29, were between level 13 and directorship.
The letter dated January 26, 2024, is titled: "Termination of Appointment".
Sources told SaharaReporters that the affected workers were given a mandate to each generate N5 million every month, as the governor pushes to generate $30 billion in revenue monthly.
However, the governor said collectively they could generate N50 million as the minimum instead of N100 million that the N5 million per person would normally amount to.
The sack letter received by one of the affected workers who spoke to SaharaReporters on condition of anonymity read: "Management has considered your performance and found it unsatisfactory and has decided to terminate your appointment on the grounds of general inefficiency and inability to meet your target.
"As a result, your appointment with ENUGU STATE WATER CORPORATION is hereby TERMINATED with immediate effect.
"You should hand over all properties, documents, and files of the Corporation in your possession to the Commercial/Admin."
The termination letter was signed by Andreas Gebauer, the Special Personal Assistant to Governor Mbah on Water and Waste Management.
Unfortunately, a source told SaharaReporters on Sunday that "one of the people they gave the sack letters to named Christopher Abonyi - who hails from Nsukka - died this morning from a heart attack".
The source further revealed that organised labour had given Governor Mbah a 4-day ultimatum to reverse the sacking or they would shut down the water corporation.
The organised labour reportedly lamented the unilateral termination of appointments of the affected staff members.
The source said: "The labour union went to their office on Thursday and told them to call all of the affected staff members back within four days or they will close their office.
“Also, they wrote to the Commissioner for Water Resources and Head of Service. They also wrote to the governor but the receiver told them to attach all their sack letters; that's why it has not reached the governor. Hopefully, by Monday or Tuesday, it will reach the table of Governor Peter Mbah."