Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, says his administration will begin the gradual payment of verified gratuity and pension arrears dating back to 2001.
Otti disclosed on Friday night during his monthly media chat at the Government House, Umuahia, where he explained that the state had completed a thorough review of all outstanding pension claims in partnership with the Nigerian Union of Pensioners.
“The committee we set up with the national body of the Nigerian Union of Pensioners has just submitted its report. It is disheartening that pensions have remained outstanding since 2001, and the total verified arrears exceed N60 billion,” he said.
The governor described the inherited backlog as a huge burden but emphasized that his administration was committed to addressing it.
“Government is continuous. Whether it is assets or liabilities, you deal with what you meet. We are unafraid to work out a solution. One thing I want to assure our pensioners is that their gratuity will be paid gradually,” he stated.
Otti also affirmed that workers’ salaries were up to date, noting that staff welfare remained a top priority. He addressed a recent payment glitch affecting newly recruited teachers, saying he had directed that no official should have a weekend break until all affected teachers were paid.
“By the end of Sunday, everyone affected will receive their salaries,” he assured.
The governor announced that the state had reopened its recruitment portal to hire 4,000 new teachers, attracting 27,980 applications in two weeks. He promised a transparent and merit-based process.
“If you qualify, you will be taken. If you don’t, no matter who you know, you will not be taken,” he said.
Otti also disclosed that the recruitment of medical personnel in the state was nearing completion, with some applicants coming from outside Nigeria. He highlighted recent national ratings by SBM Intelligence that ranked Abia as the state most prepared for medical emergencies.
He added that Abia topped the Kevlin Index in intra-city transport affordability and said the government’s newly acquired electric buses would be deployed before the end of the year to further reduce transport costs.
On infrastructure, Otti said road construction had resumed across the state following the end of the rainy season, with contractors instructed to accelerate work. He revealed that the state had issued 30,562 Certificates of Occupancy in two and a half years under its automated 30-day C-of-O system.
He said revenue recovery efforts were being intensified and applied uniformly to all debtors, adding that the government follows due process involving demand notices and court orders before enforcement.
The governor highlighted ongoing school renovations, improved curricula, and the restoration of accreditation for 24 courses at the Abia State College of Education (Technical). He also noted progress at the Abia State University and Dr Ogbonnaya Onu Polytechnic.
Otti further stated that the state had upgraded facilities at the NYSC camp in Bende, increased corps members’ allowances, and was assisting the Nigerian Correctional Service by constructing new perimeter fencing and expanding holding facilities to decongest cells.
He said efforts to grant pardon to minor offenders had stalled because none of the 1,900 inmates had been convicted for minor offences, but he directed officials to conduct another review ahead of year-end.
“This is the Abia we envisioned,” he said.
