Abia Govt Clears N30bn Salary, Pension Arrears – Otti

Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, says the state has moved past the traditional 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. work schedule, with a new work ethic taking root among civil servants who now stay back voluntarily to complete their tasks.

Speaking during the 2025 Workers’ Day celebration at the Umuahia Township Stadium on Thursday, he attributed the renewed commitment among workers to better treatment and an improved working environment, saying many now arrive early and even work on weekends without being compelled.

“You do not go home simply because it’s 5 p.m, you go home because you have effectively completed the tasks you have lined up at the beginning of the day,” Otti said.

He said his administration has spent over N30 billion to offset salary and pension arrears and reaffirmed that salaries and pensions will continue to be paid on or before the 28th of every month.

On the new national minimum wage, he stated, “We did not only keep the promise of paying the 70,000 new minimum wage, we are paid promptly and regularly.”

He also approved a new salary structure for health workers in the state to match their federal counterparts and announced the recruitment of 5,000 teachers, with plans to employ an additional 4,000 teachers and 771 health workers.

Addressing the health sector, he noted that over 20,000 civil servants had already been enrolled in the state’s new formal sector health insurance scheme and acknowledged that the state was recovering from years of neglect.

“As I always remind us, Rome was not built in a day… We are coming from a very bad place and have been battling to meet the burden of unpaid salary and pension arrears,” he said.

He assured workers that all demands presented by labour unions would be reviewed and addressed based on available resources, while encouraging them to remain hopeful in the face of economic hardship.

Earlier In his address, the Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Abia State, Comr. Ogbonnaya Okoro, commended the governor for his labour-friendly policies and the early implementation of the new minimum wage.

However, he appealed for its extension to some categories of workers who are yet to benefit, including health workers in the Ministry and local government, veterinary officers, and staff of the Ministry of Women Affairs, Secondary Education Management Board and ABSU amongst others.

“As Oliver Twist and as partners in progress, we believe in your ability and we appreciate you. We don’t want anything to bring disaffection between you and the workers,” he said.

Okoro also called on the government to fund its counterpart contribution to the newly launched contributory pension scheme, address the non-implementation of the teachers’ salary structure, and resolve issues affecting salary discrepancies in some ministries.

He raised concerns over arbitrary taxation on salaries, lack of operational vehicles for union leaders, and appealed for the completion of the permanent secretariat of organized labour in the state.

While acknowledging the government’s efforts in revitalizing education and infrastructure, he emphasized the need for inclusive consultation with labour on major policy decisions like the health insurance scheme.

THE WHISTLER reports that Okoro further dedicated this year’s May Day celebration to Governor Otti in honour of his 60th birthday and praised him for what he described as a “new Abia that every well-meaning citizen is proud to identify with.”

He urged workers to remain steadfast in their commitment, despite the challenges, and expressed confidence that with the governor’s leadership, Abia would continue to thrive.

“We are on the path to a brighter future, and together, we will build a prosperous Abia,” Okoro said.