Dr Bamachy Onyemachi, Director of Medical Services at the Abia State Health Management Board, Umuahia, has appealed to Governor Alex Otti to intervene in the alleged non-payment of his salary for more than 20 months.
Onyemachi told the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, on Tuesday in Umuahia that the situation had left him struggling to meet his financial obligations, including rent, while his landlord had threatened to evict him from his apartment.
He also claimed that a commercial bank had taken possession of a house he acquired through a loan after he was unable to service the facility.
The doctor alleged that his ordeal began following a disagreement with the Chief Executive Officer of the Abia Health Management Board, Dr Odochi Azubuike, over the management of equipment at one of the hospitals under the board.
According to him, he had advised against the removal of some equipment from the Federal Multipurpose Hospital, Ugwunagbo, on the evening of its inauguration on July 3, 2024.
“I counselled her against the idea, but she insisted, so I involved the traditional ruler of the community,” he said.
Onyemachi alleged that the traditional ruler subsequently advised Azubuike against removing any equipment, assuring her that the community was capable of protecting the items.
He further alleged that Azubuike wrote to the Commissioner for Finance on July 3, 2024, requesting that his salary and those of 20 other staff members of the board be stopped.
He said the Head of Service subsequently wrote to the Commissioner for Finance, who, in a letter dated December 24, 2024, directed the Accountant-General to suspend the salaries.
According to Onyemachi, the affected workers were accused of refusing postings, poor attendance, absconding from duty, refusing to retire after eight years as directors and failing to appear before a verification committee.
He said the Head of Service, Benson Ojeikere, investigated the matter and, in a letter dated May 20, 2025, cleared him of the allegation that he had refused to retire after eight years as a director.
The letter, titled “Clarification on Statutory Retirement of Directors at HMB Abia State,” directed Onyemachi to serve out the remaining four years of his tenure as a director, he said.
Onyemachi said Azubuike subsequently acknowledged his reinstatement in a letter dated July 25, 2025, and requested the payment of six months of his withheld salary to enable him to perform his duties effectively.
He said that despite the development, his salary remained unpaid, prompting him to escalate the matter to the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health.
In a letter dated April 28, 2026, the Permanent Secretary, Dr Blossom Uma, appealed to the Head of Service to intervene in resolving the salary issue.
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The letter stated that Onyemachi’s salary had been “erroneously stopped” through a December 24, 2024 letter and had remained unpaid for 16 months, despite his continued attendance at work and efforts to resolve the matter.
On May 11, 2026, the then Head of Service reportedly approved the reinstatement of Onyemachi’s salary, his inclusion in the payroll and the payment of 16 months’ arrears to the Accountant-General, Dr Njum Onyemenam.
However, Onyemachi alleged that the approval was not implemented and that his salary remained unpaid as of July 9, 2026.
He further claimed that the other 20 affected workers had been reinstated and paid their salaries, leaving him as the only one still awaiting payment.
The doctor therefore appealed to Governor Otti to urgently intervene in the matter.
When Newmen visited Azubuike’s office in Umuahia for her reaction, she was unavailable. However, when contacted by telephone, she denied withholding Onyemachi’s salary and directed them to the Ministry of Health.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Uma, said she had done her best to ensure that Onyemachi received his salary.
She also promised to do everything within her powers to facilitate the payment of the outstanding salaries.
A correspondent who visited the office of the Accountant-General to seek further clarification was denied access to the premises by security personnel.
