By Isaac Mission 

A Director of Medical Services with the Abia State Health Management Board (HMB), Dr. Bamachy Onyemachi, has appealed to Governor Alex Otti to intervene in the non-payment of his salary, which he says has lasted for more than 20 months.

Onyemachi, who made the appeal in Umuahia on Tuesday, said the prolonged withholding of his earnings had placed him under severe financial pressure.

He disclosed that his landlord had threatened to evict him over unpaid rent, while a commercial bank had taken possession of a property he acquired through a loan after he was unable to meet his repayment obligations.

The medical director attributed the salary dispute to a disagreement with the Chief Executive Officer of the Abia Health Management Board, Odochi Azubuike, concerning the handling of medical equipment at a hospital supervised by the board.

According to Onyemachi, the disagreement occurred around the inauguration of the Federal Multipurpose Hospital in Ugwunagbo on July 3, 2024. He said he objected to plans to move some of the equipment from the facility on the day it was inaugurated.

He claimed that after raising his concerns, the matter escalated and a request was subsequently made for his salary, alongside those of 20 other HMB employees, to be stopped.

Onyemachi said the allegations against the affected workers included refusal to accept postings, poor attendance, absence from duty, refusal to retire after eight years as directors and failure to appear before a verification committee.

He, however, stated that an investigation by the state's Head of Service, Benson Ojeikere, subsequently clarified his status.

According to him, a May 20, 2025 letter from the Head of Service on the statutory retirement of directors at the Health Management Board cleared him of the allegation that he had refused to retire after eight years. He said the letter directed that he complete the remaining four years of his tenure.

Onyemachi further said Azubuike later acknowledged the decision and requested that his outstanding salaries be paid, including six months' arrears at the time, to enable him to continue carrying out his duties effectively.

He said the issue persisted despite further correspondence between the Ministry of Health, the Head of Service and the Accountant-General's office.

In a letter dated April 28, 2026, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health reportedly appealed for intervention, stating that Onyemachi's salary had remained unpaid for 16 months despite his continued attendance and performance of his official duties.

The director said approval was subsequently granted on May 11, 2026, for his reinstatement on the payroll and payment of 16 months' salary arrears.

He alleged, however, that the directive was not implemented, adding that his salary remained unpaid while the other affected workers had been reinstated and paid.

Onyemachi therefore appealed directly to Governor Otti to urgently intervene and resolve the matter.

Meanwhile, Azubuike denied the allegation that she was responsible for withholding Onyemachi's salary.

The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Blossom Uma, also said she had made efforts to facilitate payment of the outstanding salary.

Uma assured that she would continue to pursue the matter within the limits of her authority to ensure the issue was resolved.

The Accountant-General of the state, Njum Onyemenam, was reportedly unavailable for immediate comment.