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OWED COVID-19 RESPONSE ALLOWANCE OF APRIL 2021 TO MAY 2022: – ANOTHER GOV UDOM’S MISDEED.
Covid-19 response in Akwa Ibom State started in April 2020. Admitted patients were treated in Ibom Speciality Hospital (ISH), Uyo, until August 20th, 2020, when they were moved to Ituk Mbang on completion of the isolation center. Payments of COVID allowance were regular during the early weeks of the onset of Covid-19 apparently because payments were directly from the Government House and the government seemingly had the will to fight the novel virus in the early days of COVID. However, from August 2020, no payments were made until December 2020 despite the raging pandemic and the responders working under hazardous conditions. When payments were finally made in December, only two (2) months of arrears (August & September 2020) out of 5 months owed were paid. Recall that December 2020 saw the commencement of the second COVID wave and that His Excellency the Ex-military Governor, Idongesit Nkwaga took ill from Covid-19. It wasn’t easy getting and intensivist to manage him. Most intensivists contacted declined due to owed allowances. So, the payment, we believe, was to assuage responders to re-engage.Similarly, October 2020 through March 2021 allowances came in July and August 2021 (paid in two tranches: the first tranche in late July and the second tranche in early August. Again, recall the third (3rd) COVID wave started in late July 2021. At this time, the responders had been owed for eleven months. Likewise, the payment stemmed from the fear that responders would be unwilling to continue the response due to non-payment of allowances.From the above, it can be seen that nefarious pattern had been established. Meanwhile, In October 2020, the State Ministry of Health took over the mismanagement of the Isolation Centre. When the October 2020 – March 2021 arrears were paid, the State Ministry of Health brazenly deducted 10% of the arrears from each responder under the pretense of “Revolving Fund”. Whatever that means! Findings reveal that the deductions came at the behest of the permanent secretary, Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Health, an action many responders viewed as cooperate theft. For the avoidance of doubt, the COVID allowance, I understand is non-taxable and should not be subject to any deductions!! Why deductions from these allowances were made fathomable. To this end, doctors and other responders, including nurses, laboratory scientists, sample collectors and janitors (cleaners), are currently 12 months in Arrears (April 2021 to May 2022) on the Covid-19 allowance payment. Investigations have revealed that His Excellency, Governor Udom Emmanuel, had disputed and refused to approve the amount submitted to him. Sources with privy knowledge maintained that the governor’s refusal was not unconnected to the suspicion that the State Ministry of Health heavily inflated the COVID payment proposal. The submitted voucher reportedly covered five (5) months (April to September 2021).However, it is uncertain whether the second voucher for the remaining months of 2021 was submitted, considering that the first voucher was rejected.The inflation of the amount not withstanding, the seeming imbroglio indicates the government’s insensitivity towards health, health workforce, and the general civil service matters. Udom Emmanuel’s administration owed the health workers and other civil servants employed in 2014 for 14 months. Also, be reminded that he approved the employment as the secretary to the State Government at the time.That many health workers contracted Covid-19 in the line of duty at the isolation centre during the second, third and fourth COVID wave should have spurred the government to pay the allowance – a stipend not commensurate with the risk. It is grievous that the people working there contracted the deadly virus, struggled to recover, yet are owed, especially the responders who are not in the government employ.The laborers, they say, deserve their wages. It will only be fair if the Akwa Ibom State Covid-19 responder’s are paid their owed allowances.
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OWED COVID-19 RESPONSE ALLOWANCE OF APRIL 2021 TO MAY 2022: – ANOTHER GOV UDOM’S MISDEED.
Covid-19 response in Akwa Ibom State started in April 2020. Admitted patients were treated in Ibom Speciality Hospital (ISH), Uyo, until August 20th, 2020, when they were moved to Ituk Mbang on completion of the isolation center. Payments of COVID allowance were regular during the early weeks of the onset of Covid-19 apparently because payments were directly from the Government House and the government seemingly had the will to fight the novel virus in the early days of COVID. However, from August 2020, no payments were made until December 2020 despite the raging pandemic and the responders working under hazardous conditions. When payments were finally made in December, only two (2) months of arrears (August & September 2020) out of 5 months owed were paid. Recall that December 2020 saw the commencement of the second COVID wave and that His Excellency the Ex-military Governor, Idongesit Nkwaga took ill from Covid-19. It wasn’t easy getting and intensivist to manage him. Most intensivists contacted declined due to owed allowances. So, the payment, we believe, was to assuage responders to re-engage.Similarly, October 2020 through March 2021 allowances came in July and August 2021 (paid in two tranches: the first tranche in late July and the second tranche in early August. Again, recall the third (3rd) COVID wave started in late July 2021. At this time, the responders had been owed for eleven months. Likewise, the payment stemmed from the fear that responders would be unwilling to continue the response due to non-payment of allowances.From the above, it can be seen that nefarious pattern had been established. Meanwhile, In October 2020, the State Ministry of Health took over the mismanagement of the Isolation Centre. When the October 2020 – March 2021 arrears were paid, the State Ministry of Health brazenly deducted 10% of the arrears from each responder under the pretense of “Revolving Fund”. Whatever that means! Findings reveal that the deductions came at the behest of the permanent secretary, Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Health, an action many responders viewed as cooperate theft. For the avoidance of doubt, the COVID allowance, I understand is non-taxable and should not be subject to any deductions!! Why deductions from these allowances were made fathomable. To this end, doctors and other responders, including nurses, laboratory scientists, sample collectors and janitors (cleaners), are currently 12 months in Arrears (April 2021 to May 2022) on the Covid-19 allowance payment. Investigations have revealed that His Excellency, Governor Udom Emmanuel, had disputed and refused to approve the amount submitted to him. Sources with privy knowledge maintained that the governor’s refusal was not unconnected to the suspicion that the State Ministry of Health heavily inflated the COVID payment proposal. The submitted voucher reportedly covered five (5) months (April to September 2021).However, it is uncertain whether the second voucher for the remaining months of 2021 was submitted, considering that the first voucher was rejected.The inflation of the amount not withstanding, the seeming imbroglio indicates the government’s insensitivity towards health, health workforce, and the general civil service matters. Udom Emmanuel’s administration owed the health workers and other civil servants employed in 2014 for 14 months. Also, be reminded that he approved the employment as the secretary to the State Government at the time.That many health workers contracted Covid-19 in the line of duty at the isolation centre during the second, third and fourth COVID wave should have spurred the government to pay the allowance – a stipend not commensurate with the risk. It is grievous that the people working there contracted the deadly virus, struggled to recover, yet are owed, especially the responders who are not in the government employ.The laborers, they say, deserve their wages. It will only be fair if the Akwa Ibom State Covid-19 responder’s are paid their owed allowances.
Copied from "Isitighe Ikpam" FB Account
Please push to front page and continue to repost on other platforms