Alex Otti, the governor of Abia State, has declared that the state will start paying the verified pension and gratuity arrears that haven’t been paid since 2001, calling the backlog a burden that the state can no longer ignore.
During his monthly press conference at Government House in Umuahia, Alex Otti declared that his administration had finished a comprehensive analysis of all unresolved claims. The Nigerian Union of Pensioners collaborated on the exercise, which resulted in a comprehensive report that has now been turned in.
Otti stated, “The report has just been turned in by the committee that we established between members of my administration and the national body of the Nigerian Union of Pensioners.”
As you may remember, we made the decision to reexamine it following appeals, and we have done so. The fact that pensions have been unpaid since 2001 and that the total verified outstanding pensions exceed N60 billion is depressing.
He emphasized that his administration would address the arrears head-on, despite characterizing them as a massive burden spanning more than 20 years. “Government is ongoing, and you deal with whatever is given to you.” If it’s assets or liabilities, you choose them all. “We’re not scared to find a solution,” he declared.
The days of uncertainty were over, the governor reassured retirees. “I want to reassure our pensioners that their gratuity will be paid gradually,” he stated, noting that serving employees’ salary will not change.
Otti also addressed the issue of newly hired teachers’ salary delays and set a strict timetable for their rectification. “I’ve told everyone that they can’t take a weekend until all of the impacted teachers are paid. All those impacted will get paid by the end of Sunday, he stated.
In just two weeks, the state’s employment portal, which was recently reactivated to hire 4,000 teachers, received 27,980 applications. The governor claimed that the participation showed confidence in the procedure. He pledged that the selecting process would be transparent and uncluttered, just like the last round.
“You can go home and sleep knowing full well that if you qualify, you will be taken, and if you don’t qualify, regardless of who you know, you will not be taken,” stated Alex Otti.
He mentioned that the hiring of medical professionals was nearly finished, with some candidates arriving from abroad.
SBM Intelligence ranked Abia as the most prepared state for medical emergencies, according to current national rankings, which Otti brought up.
In terms of intra-city transportation affordability, the state likewise ranked first on the Kevlin Index. He said it was “like day and night” that the average fare in Abia was ₦542, while the lowest-ranked state reported ₦1,399.
He affirmed that in order to further reduce transportation expenses, Abia’s fleet of recently purchased electric buses would be put into service before the end of the year.
