…Say’s his family is dying
By Idibia Gabriel, Kaduna
A 46 year old visual impaired retired Civil Servant in Kaduna state has cried out for hunger and starvation, saying he has nothing to feed his family with anymore.
The 46 year blind man who gave his name as Sunday Mathew was among the workers relieved of their appointment during the rightsizing exercise conducted in the state by Governor Nasir El-rufai of kaduna State.
The sympathetic looking Sunday Mathew who made the revelation at the premises of Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Kaduna state Council Secretariat Muhammed Buhari way on Monday for the third time, said he has not been paid a dime since he was retired premature.
Mr Mathew who narrated his ugly situation and circumstances surrounding his sacked with tears rolling down his cheek said he can no longer feed his family.
He disclosed that two his brothesr who were supposed to come to his aide were late.
He said the reasons he walked into ‘Kaduna journalists Union premises’ was mainly because he heard Governor Nasir El-rufai on air that he didn’t sack or retired any worker.
Mathew who reportedly lost his sight while in primary school lamented that even though his letter is reading retirement, instead of sacked, he has never received any alert since April when he was given the letter he openly displayed for journalsts to see.
Mr. Mathew further explained that he was in the village for the burial of his kinsman when a phone called came to him to urgently “report to office to collect his letter, unknown to him that it was sacked letter.
“See my sack letter. Now he has retired us from work and I’m not seeing anything, no money has come, no salary has come again, nothing. We’re just staying like that. And he said he did not want anybody to go out and be begging.
“Now I’m not begging, my house I’m living, the rentage is due, but no money to pay. They pursued my children from school because of fees but no money to pay. I’m just seating down like this. Even food to eat in my house is a problem for me now”, he lamented.
Mathew also pleaded that they should be returned back to work and continue till next 9 to10 years when he’ll be originally due for mandatory retirement since El-rufai said he didn’t sack any workers.
“El-rufai said he didn’t sack or retired any worker, see my retirement letter in my hands. So I’m here to beg him to return us to work for sake of God”, he said”, adding that since April when he was served his letter, he did not received any salary again, and nothing was given him as entitlement or benefits till now.
“I’ve one wife and four children, one is in Federal University in kogi. She has been calling me for her school fees, even the small ones in primary and secondary are disturbing me, but I could not find money to pay. They’re crying to me for food, school fees.
“My plan is that, if El-rufai did not call us back, I’ll go to Abuja and see President Muhamadu Buhari. I’ll tell him if he can find me another work to do to take care of my family and my children because I cannot beg. I’m not use to begging”, he said.
He continue that “Three of brothers following me in our family are blind but the two are now late. Gradually i lost my sight while in primary school class room when i could no longer see the blackboard very well anymore”, he stated.
According to him, the job was given to him by an ex-Goveenor of kaduna state and vowed to ensure that he visit President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja to find him another’ job to do to feed his family.
While expressed displeasure over delay in the payment of his entitlement, he said it’s putting him and his wife and four children in hunger and starvation.
He said untill he received his purported retirement letter in April 2021, he was working in Social Welfare department, Kaduna North local Government Council in the state as a full staff.
“I was employed in 17th May 1995, as an Assistant Craftsman, through a letter given to me by the former Governor, Jafaru Isa, to kaduna North local government to give me a job to do”, Mr Mathew said, also stressing that he had faced several screening before and under El-rufai, and excelled in all. I’ve being coming to Nuj for interview for help”, he said .
