Agony of a widow: When my husband died there was no money to bury him and his father died because there was no money to take him to hospital

The story of Mrs Mary Igwe, a widow and mother of four, is a very pathetic one. She is the wife of the late Mr Ogbonnaya Igwe, an auditor and one of the 17 accountants that were dismissed from the Ebonyi State Civil Service in 2002.


Mrs Iqwe


The woman who is in her 40s told Daily Sun that the sack of her husband from service nine years ago was the beginning of suffering for her young family. Initially, she said that the family was managing, but before long it became difficult for them to pay for their rented apartment in Afikpo.

And by the time her husband died in June last year everything, she said, collapsed on their head.

Mrs. Igwe who fought hard to hold back tears as she narrated her ordeal recalled that their problem started with the sack of her husband who was doing well as an auditor.

Her words: “Since my husband was sacked alongside 17 other accountants from the state civil service our world turned upside down; life has become so miserable and difficult that we can no longer eat well, send our children to school or even pay our house rent.”

Mrs Igwe, who is a school teacher at the Sir Francis Akanu Ibiam Grammar School Afikpo, recalled how she was returning to school one fateful afternoon to meet all her property outside.

Losing our apartment

I called a colleague and a friend who came and started begging our landlord because that day the landlord pushed us out of the house because of arrears of rent we owed him.

At 40 years I developed high blood pressure due to hardship, due to poverty which crept in on us that fateful day my husband came back with that sad news that finally led to his death; that same news that made life miserable for me and my children.

My husband’s sack

I can’t forget that day; yes, it was during the short time the then Speaker of the Ebonyi House of Assembly, who is now a Senator, Julius Ucha was Acting governor; Governor Sam Egwu was on leave then; my husband came back, and with that look of dejection in his eyes, which I can still visualize I knew something was wrong.

He held out the letter and shouted amidst tears, ‘Ucha’ has sacked us; he broke down and I went to him trying to console him.

I have four children and all of them are supposed to be in school now, even this one (pointing at her daughter seated next to her), but they are not in school; when they finish secondary school they stop because we have free education up to secondary school in the state; their schooling is a big burden which I cannot do anything about because one has to be alive first before he can think of going to school.

How my husband died and plight of the family

The day my husband died we did not even have money to bury him; in fact, his burial was through charity. People who loved us were contributing; we have virtually turned to beggars; even my father in-law, when he took ill, he died because there was no money to take him to the hospital.

And I know that what happened to my husband was out of frustration; and his aged mother is still there suffering diabetes and you know they are normally on diet; but she is there in the house eating whatever she can lay her hands on, waiting for the day she will die.

To pay our rent has continuously been a big problem, I have owed people to a fault; even this morning a woman came for her money, but I couldn’t pay. These debts are so numerous that if I start counting them the list will be endless.

To eat three times in this house is almost impossible because I owe the bank; I told you that I am a school teacher, I had to borrow from the bank to set off the backlog of our rent, so the bank is deducting from my salary. When I am paid they make the deduction and nothing is left; they only leave about N5000 for me.

Will I use N5000 to pay for the house rent, or to buy food? It is a big problem; every day I go to school on foot; I trek to and from school on a daily basis; and the high blood pressure which I am suffering is getting worse, no money for me to buy drugs to sustain myself; so, I am living now like the woman of Zarephath.

He always told me that the auditor-general said that he embezzled money, but in the white paper he gave to me there was no money attached to his name; nothing to show that he worked at a place or office and embezzled money, nothing like that.

He was so bitter about how he was treated; he also complained that they were not given fair hearing; and he was pursuing the matter vigorously in court; but when his pocket went dry he resigned to fate.

My appeal

My appeal is to Governor Martin Elechi, I know he is a father and will understand what our family is going through now; it was not his making, but I believe he can still help us at least by paying this family what my husband was owed; that will help us settle our debts.”

Mrs Igwe who said she was still relating with the families of the other 16 victims disclosed that three of those sacked have died while one of them is currently blind. “It has not been easy for all the families and I think it will be proper if the government can re-visit the issue since most of the people are claiming innocence of the alleged offences.”


http://odili.net/news/source/2011/mar/9/521.html

As everybody dey stuff their face with apku, no "rich" Igbo can help this young lady? oma se.

Heebo/Ebo/Ebola people love money more than they love each other.


Thank God I am Yoruba.

Igbos? they will only help if there are some potentials of taking advantage of you. Apologies to some few good Ibos (though I have never met one), pls learn to love and help especially your blood brother and sisters,

@poster let the assistance start from you.How much is u`r contribution? Y TK A BANK LOAN TO PAY RENT WHEN U WORK.

@luvinhubby what do expect d poor woman to do? to be staying inside gutter shebi?

What on earth have the Ibos done to other tribes in Nigeria?

If this plight touches you, and you feel you can help, pls do. Charity knows no ethnicity.

An Igboman has single handedlly sponsored the medical treatment of a yoruba child abroad, and instructed that his name shouldn't be mentioned. But out of gratitude, the mum of the sick child said it's an Igboman, but didn't mention the man's name.

Afterall, it wasn't a fellow tribesman that the good samaritan gave succour.

@akoraye, 4 a bank 2give her loan shows she has a decent & steady income. & since u teach, she has time for other things

solidifi:

What on earth have the Ibos done to other tribes in Nigeria?

If this plight touches you, and you feel you can help, pls do. Charity knows no ethnicity.

An Igboman has single handedlly sponsored the medical treatment of a yoruba  child abroad, and instructed that his name shouldn't be mentioned. But out of gratitude, the mum of the sick child said it's an Igboman, but didn't mention the man's name.

Afterall, it wasn't a fellow tribesman that the good samaritan gave succour.

Plz keep quiet. "other tribes"? So the name "Igwe" is no more Igbo?

And provide us the source which proves an "Igbo man single handedly sponsored the medical. . , bla bla bla", and why the same Igbo man couldnt help his own Igo ppl? Abi you wan tell us say there is no source and that that Igboman is someone you know?

Madam Ileke Idi,

Why this obsession with igbos? How many indigent people have you assisted in Ekiti. I think you re a really sick person.
Back off before your senseless hatred for igbos choke you to death.