“Stop Starving Families”: Ekwunife Decries Salary Delays, Calls Alumni to Back Campus Projects

Senator Uche Ekwunife, CON, has described the non-payment of workers’ salaries as an act of economic sabotage, warning that such delays amount to starving entire families.

Her Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Hon. Tony Ezike, in a statement issued after her keynote address at the 2025 Alumni Homecoming and Friends of the Department Award Presentation & Endowment Event, said Ekwunife urged that sanctions be considered for employers and government institutions that fail to meet their salary obligations.

“Owing salary should attract capital punishment because once you owe salaries, you’re not only depriving the workers but also starving entire families,” Senator Ekwunife said.

The event, hosted by the Department of Business Administration, Faculty of Management Sciences, Nnamdi Azikiwe University (Unizik), Awka, was held at the ASUU-NAU Secretariat with the theme “From Campus to Boardroom: Bridging Generations, Empowering Alumni and Giving Back.” It attracted dignitaries including Hon. Eze Primacy Okadigbo, President of Ohaneze Ndigbo, FCT-Abuja, who chaired the occasion; Prof. Carol Arinze-Umobi, Acting Vice-Chancellor of Unizik; HRM Igwe Dr. Michael Chukwuneme Idigo V, Ezeudo I of Aguleri Kingdom; Senators Osita Izunaso and Tony Nwoye; Hon. Prof. Lilian Oby Orogbu, Member representing Awka North and South Federal Constituency; as well as several members of the Anambra State House of Assembly.

Delivering her keynote address as “Mother of the Day,” Ekwunife described the event as a celebration of heritage and a renewal of commitment to give back to the institution. She recalled her past contributions to Unizik, which include the establishment of a Solar and High-Energy Cosmic Ray Laboratory, an Ultramodern Skill Acquisition Centre, the installation of solar-powered lights, the construction of three internal roads, and the award of scholarships to students.

“These interventions were never about me; they were about us, about the generations that will walk these grounds after us, and about the vision of this great university that grows stronger with each passing year,” she said.

Ekwunife further appealed to alumni and stakeholders to support ongoing departmental projects, including the construction of a departmental office complex, installation of a solar energy system, and acquisition of a utility vehicle to aid administrative work.

The highlight of the occasion was the presentation of an award of recognition to Ekwunife by the Acting Vice-Chancellor, who described her as a responsive leader, bridge-builder, and champion of human capital development. In her acceptance speech, Senator Ekwunife pledged to continue her support for students, the department, and the institution through personal efforts and broader stakeholder consultation.

Photos from the event….