Abia State Governor Commits to Paying Salaries Arrears to State Workers
In a move aimed at promoting the welfare of Abia State civil servants, Governor Alex Otti has started defraying arrears of salaries owed workers in state-owned institutions by previous administrations. According to an official source close to the state Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, the institutions affected include Abia State University Uturu, Abia State Polytechnic, Aba, Abia State College of Education, Technical Arochukwu, Abia State Teaching Hospital, Aba, and Health Management Board, Umuahia, among others.
The Abia State Government has announced that it will pay the arrears in 12 months, with the first batch already disbursed to the affected institutions. This payment plan is designed to ensure that other areas of governance do not suffer from a lack of attention due to limited financial resources. By this development, Governor Otti’s administration has once again demonstrated its commitment to the promotion and sustenance of the welfare of Abia State civil servants.
In a statement, Prince Okey Kanu noted that the office of the Accountant General has commenced the payment of the arrears to all verified workers, amounting to N17, 629,767,342,09 (Seventeen billion, six hundred and twenty-nine million, seven hundred and sixty-seven thousand, three hundred and forty-two, nine Kobo only).
The Chief Press Secretary, CPS to the state governor, Ukoha Njoku Ukoha, also issued a statement, confirming that Governor Otti has paid the first tranche of the arrears of workers’ salaries owed by the immediate past administration. The governor has earmarked N1.5 billion monthly to instalmentally offset the N18 Billion arrears of salaries within 12 Months. Governor Otti feels fulfilled with the thunderous jubilation and excitement of Abia workers than the bitterness of those denied access to Statutory workers and retirees entitlements.
Recall that a few weeks before he was changed, the immediate past Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Mike Akpara, had announced in a press conference that the Abia State Government plans to offset in tranches, the salary arrears owed staff of state-owned institutions of higher learning by the immediate past administration, assuring also that the state government would equally pay off the arrears of salary owed some workers in the state civil service, in batches.
Mr. Akpara had explained that the present administration inherited a debt of billions of naira arrears owed workers in state-owned institutions of learning, adding that the government has resolved to clear the debts while ensuring that progress in other sectors of the economy is not hindered.
“We will do it in instalments so that it does not hamper the progress of other sectors of the economy,” Mr. Akpara said. “The past government owed Abia State Polytechnic -v33 months, College of Education Arochukwu – 22 months, Abia State University – 11 months. The Hospital Management Board was owed for several months. Theirs was humongous. We also have ASUBEB and SEMB the total amounts being owed to them is over a N4billion.”
The Finance Commissioner also announced that payments to workers in state-owned institutions of learning would begin in July or August, to complete the payments by the end of the year, and added that the State Government had already paid the salary arrears for April and May owed workers in ABSU, emphasizing the present administration’s commitment to completely change the narrative of owing workers salaries and addressing the long-standing issue of unpaid wages.
