The gathering of well meaning Abians on the 13th of February 2026 in celebration of the commissioning of the newly built bridge over Igu river in Abam, popularly known as Omenuko bridge by the Governor of Abia State, His Excellency Dr Alex Chioma Otti was indeed a turnaround for a decade of infrastructure neglect, which however has propelled prosperity to Abians and to the grassroots.
However the celebration of the new bridge was with ill-feelings to some families, who lost their parents, brothers and sisters due to the structural defect and government neglect in rebuilding the 70 year old Omenuko bridge. Although there was a collective condolences to the bereaved families as was read by the Governor on the reception ground.
It is worrisome, unthinkable and a total aberration that over 14 years, Mr Maxwell Uduma and his lovely wife Victoria Uduma lost their lives on the bridge, yet the late wife, Victoria Uduma who before her tragic death on the Omenuko bridge on the 24th of March 2012 was a Director in the Abia State Ministry of Education and the Principal of Community girls secondary school Aba, have not been paid her pension and gratuity benefits 14 years after her tragic death by the Abia State Government, despite leaving behind 5 young children who were then in secondary schools and higher institutions.
According to the eldest child, Joseph Uduma in a chart with Trustbase News, he emphatically expressed their dismay with the neglect or delay in the payment of their late lovely mother’s benefits by the Abia State Government despite her commitment and contribution to education in Abia state. And also who died in active service, just the year of her retirement. He maintained that their inability to access their mother’s benefits was due to their lack of the usual syndrome of who you know in the government sector.
He however pleaded with His Excellency, the Governor of Abia State, Dr Alex Otti to look into their plight in accessing the long overdue entitlements.
“It was a tragic experience for us the children of the late Mr Maxwell & Mrs Victoria Uduma who died together on the 24th of March 2012 in a fatal accident that happened in the Omenuko Bridge/River in Abia State where they lost their lives inside the river.
Our late mother was (until her death) a vice principal of community girls secondary school in ABA and also a director in the Abia State civil service who was to retire the year she died.
As a family, all efforts to recover her gratuity & pension proved abortive but the ministry in charge affirmed their indebtedness of her benefits and insisted that it is only the governor that can authorize the immediate payments/settlement.
We have been left without hope all these years to recover this benefits and have been praying for a helper who will assist us get all her entitlement from the Abia State government as a family we have the belief and plead for the Governor, Dr Alex Otti to help us out”.Joseph stated.
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