The official says the situation had made it difficult for him to meet his needs, with his landlord threatening to evict him from his apartment.
Bamachy Onyemachi, the director of Medical Services at the Abia Health Management Board (HMB), Umuahia, has petitioned Governor Alex Otti to intervene regarding his over 20 months of withheld salaries.
He also said a commercial bank had taken possession of a house he acquired with a loan from the bank because he could not service the loan.
Mr Onyemachi alleged that his ordeal stemmed from a disagreement with the Chief Executive Officer of Abia HMB, Odochi Azubuike, over the management of equipment at one of the hospitals supervised by the board.
He said he had advised against the movement of some equipment of the Federal Multipurpose Hospital at Ugwunagbo on the evening of its inauguration on 3 July 2024.
“I counselled her against the idea but she insisted so I involved the traditional ruler of the community,” he said.
Mr Onyemachi alleged that the traditional ruler told Ms Azubuike not to remove any equipment because the community was capable of protecting them.
He said that on the evening of 3 July 2024, Ms Azubuike wrote to the Commissioner for Finance to stop his salary and those of 20 other staff members of the board.
“Sequel to Azubuike’s letter, the HoS wrote to the Commissioner of Finance, who, through a letter dated 24 December, 2024, directed the Accountant-General to stop my salary and those of the other 20 staff members of the board,” he said.
He said in her letter, Ms Azubuike alleged that he (Onyemachi) and others were guilty of refusing to accept posting and poor attendance at work.
He said they were also accused of absconding from duty, refusing to retire after serving eight years as directors, and refusing to appear before a verification committee.
Mr Onyemachi said the Abia Head of Service (HoS), Benson Ojeikere, investigated the matter and replied to Ms Azubuike through a letter dated 20 May, 2025, with reference number HSA/EST/RR/4.T. 11 / 229.
The letter was entitled: “Clarification on Statutory Retirement of Directors at HMB Abia State.”
He said the letter cleared him of the allegation of refusal to retire after eight years as a director and directed that he should serve out the remaining four years of his tenure as a director.
Ms Azubuike responded to the HoS letter through another letter dated 25 July, 2025, with reference number HMB/AD/91/23, in which she acknowledged Mr Onyemachi’s reinstatement.
She further requested that his stopped salaries for six months be paid to enable him discharge his duties efficiently and diligently.
Mr Onyemachi said that when the salaries remained unpaid, he escalated the matter to the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health who took the matter back to the Head of Service.
This was done through a letter dated 28 April 2026 with reference no: AB/MH/PSH/GC/HOS/26/040 entitled: “Request for the payment of Dr Onyemachi B.C.O.’s salary.”
The letter reads: “May I request your kind intervention in rectifying Dr Onyemachi B.C.O’s salary challenges, a Director of Medical Services at the Health Management Board.
“His salary was erroneously stopped via a letter from your office dated 24 December 2024…
“Unfortunately Dr Onyemachi’s salary has not been reinstated for 16 months. His last salary was in December 2024.
“Within these months, Dr Onyemachi has continued to render his dues at work and made frantic efforts to end this challenge.”
On May 11, 2026 the the Head of Service conveyed an approval to the state Accountant General, Njum Onyemenam for Mr Onyemachi’s salary reinstatement and inclusion in the payroll and payment of 16 months arrears.
Mr Onyemachi said the letter was not honoured as his salaries remained unpaid as of 9 July 2026. He said Ms Azubuike reinstated the other 20 persons with their salaries paid except him.
Mr Onyemachi, therefore, appealed for Governor Otti’s urgent intervention in the matter.
When contacted, Ms Azubuike denied withholding Mr Onyemachi’s salary and referred NAN to the Ministry of Health.
However, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Blossom Uma, told NAN that she had done her best to ensure Mr Onyemachi was paid his salary. She promised to do anything within her powers to facilitate the payment of the salaries.
A NAN correspondent went to the office of the accountant-general for comment on the matter but was denied access to the premises by the security men.
