OPEN LETTER TO HIS EXCELLENCY, MUHAMMADU BUHARI (GCFR) - ADEYEMI JOHN

TO: HIS EXCELLENCY,  MUHAMMADU BUHARI (GCFR)

PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA,

NIGERIAN PRESIDENTIAL COMPLEX

ASO ROCK PRESIDENTIAL VILLA,

ABUJA, NIGERIA.

THROUGH: HIS EXCELLENCY, THE ORDINARY PRESIDENT

AHMED ISAH,

HUMAN RIGHTS RADIO 101.1 FM,

ABUJA, NIGERIA.

20/04/2020

OPEN LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA.

Your Excellency,

LETTER OF COMPLAINT FOR NON-PAYMENT OF OUR SALARIES FOR TWENTY- EIGHT MONTHS (28 MONTHS) AND APPEAL FOR INTERVENTION

The entire Staff of Abuja Film Village International [AFVI] wish to applaud you for your selfless service to the good people of Nigeria and humanity at large. 

The Abuja Film Village is a Public-Private-Partnership [PPP] initiative of the Federal Capital Territory Administration [FCTA] envisioned to make Abuja and by extension Nigeria the centre of film and entertainment excellence. Over 5,000 hectares of land was allocated for the actualization of this project at Kusaki and Yanga Districts of Kuje Area Council of the FCT.

For 28 months now our salaries have not been paid, despite the budgetary provisions and statutory allocations from the National Assembly being covered  in 2018 budget  till - date and recommendations from committees the FCT Minister had set up to review the viability of  the Abuja Film Village.

We the employees do not know what crime we have committed to be treated in such a manner by the administration we ardently supported believing is the solution to the nation's myriad of problems and which we collectively voted to bring back to power. 

The staff of  Abuja Film Village have been reduced to objects of ridicule, by the non- payment of our salaries, as we are being told we are the architects of our misfortune, alluding to our support in voting your administration and government back to power.

We are full time employees of Abuja Film Village with no means of livelihood  other than our Salaries,  yet the FCT Administration has chosen to expose us and our dependants to untold hardship.

Mr. President Sir,  it has been harrowing this past 28 months living  without salary, and the current Covid-19 lockdown which restricted movement has restrained us from well wishers whom we beg from to feed. 

It is worthy of mention that one of our staff, Mr. James Gwatana had suffered paralysis and had been bed-ridden for years now without access to medical care [feeding is actually a problem since he cannot even walk talk more of exploring other survival options]. The same James Gwatana lost his wife and his care-giver to a brief illness due to lack of funds and access to medi-care all during this period of Twenty- Eight Months without pay. Presently, we have another disaster waiting to happen. One of our staff Mr. Sunday Eigege is down with yet-to-be identified ailment, He can barely talk and to add to his woes his Landlord had issued him a quit notice. The stories are endless and pathetic. 

Abuja Film Village staff have tested positive to hunger, psychological torture, emotional trauma, eviction by landlords, our kids being sent out of school and now Covid -19 Lockdown without food or money. 

28 months without salaries with no cogent explanation  as to why we are not being paid does not conform with the mantra of your administration  of transparency and equity. 

Your Excellency, before approaching your esteemed office, we had towed the path of peace and other administrative channels towards resolving this lingering issue of non-payment of our salaries. As staff, we had written an appeal letter to the Hon. Minister on two different occasions for his intervention but all to no avail.

Mr President Sir, we plead with you to intervene and prevail on the Hon. Minister of FCT who is greatly respected to look into our plight and help bring the life of agony we are living in to an end. 

Thank you very much my President, May Allah continue to guide and protect you as you steer the affairs of this great country Nigeria.

Signed: By ADEYEMI John Lytton 

For Abuja Film Village Staff

johnkemmer@yahoo.com, 07055526531