Abia Civil Servant Commits Suicide Over Unpaid Salary

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria, News From The State Tuesday, May 10th, 2016

By IGNATIUS OKPARA, Umuahia

Workers of the Abia state Ministry of Lands and Survey, were thrown into shock monday, as one of their colleagues, simply identified as De Nwankwo, committed suicide at his home in Ihe Ndume, Umuahia North council Area of the state over four months salary arrears owed him.

The deceased, in a suicide note he left behind, said the backlog salary arrears, had continued to make it extremely difficult for him to live up to his responsibility to his family, a development he could not bear anymore.

The note reads: “I have no other place to go, no hope, nothing to give to my children to eat and no salary for the past four months, I am sorry I have to do this.”

AFRICAN EXAMINER gathered that the note is now with the Ehimiri Police Station.

Nwankwo, who is said to be in his 50s, hanged himself after his wife and three of his four children had gone to church on Sunday.

Our Correspondent learnt that when the family returned from church at about 2pm, they discovered the man’s body dangling in the sitting room while the note was on the table.

A family source, who craved anonymity while disclosing this to newsmen on Monday said that the late civil servant, before his death, used to go to extended family members and some friends to solicit financial assistance and raw foodstuffs to take care of the household.

A community leader in the area, who do not want to be quoted in the print, said the body had been deposited at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Umuahia.

When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer PPRO, Ezekiel Udeviotu, said the case had not been brought to his office.