Alex Otti, the governor of Abia State, has declared that the state will start paying the verified gratuity and pension arrears that haven’t been paid since 2001. He calls the backlog a burden that the state can no longer ignore.
Alex Otti announced that his administration has finished a comprehensive evaluation of all unresolved claims during his monthly media conference at Government House in Umuahia. The exercise, which was conducted in conjunction with the Nigerian Union of Pensioners, resulted in a comprehensive report that has been turned in.
“The committee that we established between members of my administration and the national body of the Nigerian Union of Pensioners has just turned in the report,” stated Otti.
As you remember, we decided to reexamine it once appeals were filed, and we have done so. The fact that pensions have remained unpaid since 2001 and that there are more than N60 billion in verified pending pensions is depressing.
He emphasized that his administration would address the arrears head-on, describing them as a massive burden spanning more than 20 years. “Government is ongoing, and you handle everything that is given to you. You select all of them if they are assets or liabilities. We’re not scared to find a solution,” he declared.
The governor reassured retirees that the turbulent times were behind them. “One thing I would like to assure our pensioners is that their gratuity will be paid gradually,” he stated, noting that serving employees’ pay were still in effect.
Otti also established a strict deadline for correction and addressed the compensation delay for recently hired teachers. “I’ve told everyone that unless all impacted teachers are paid, they cannot have a weekend. All those impacted will get their salaries by the end of Sunday, he stated.
In just two weeks, 27,980 applications were received through the state’s recruitment portal, which was recently reactivated to hire 4,000 instructors. The turnout, according to the governor, showed faith in the procedure. He pledged a straightforward and uncluttered selection process akin to 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, no matter who you know, you won’t be taken,” stated Alex Otti.
He mentioned that the hiring process for medical staff was nearly finished, with some candidates arriving from abroad.
Otti cited recent national rankings, claiming that Abia was ranked as the state best equipped to handle medical emergencies by SBM Intelligence.
Additionally, the state led the Kevlin Index for the cost of intra-city transportation. He said the difference was “like day and night” between the average fare of ₦542 in Abia and ₦1,399 in the state with the lowest ranking.
He affirmed that in order to further reduce transportation costs, Abia’s fleet of recently purchased electric buses would be put into service before the year’s end.
