Abia Govt To Launch Contributory Pension Scheme

The Abia State Government has announced plans to officially launch the Contributory Pension Scheme for Abia workers.

The Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, disclosed this on Monday at Government House, Umuahia, while addressing the press on the outcome of this week’s State Executive Council meeting presided over by Governor Alex Otti.

“It is in keeping with the ongoing reforms in the state’s civil service, whereby workers’ welfare is given greater attention.

“It is worthy to note that the workers have never had it so good in the state.
The state government, upon inception, of course, will have to well pay off outstanding pension arrears owed to Abia workers by the previous administration.

“Currently, the issue of gratuity is being addressed by a special committee set up by the governor and will be paid once the committee fulfils their assignment.

“With the launch of this pension contributory scheme, the ugly issue of owing pension payments and arrears will become a thing of the past.

“Of course, Abia is repeating that under this administration, workers’ salaries and monthly pension payments are taken for granted, given the fact that workers now receive their salaries and pension payments every 28th day of the month,” Kanu stated.

The commissioner also disclosed that school enrolment figures of public schools in Abia State have increased between the months of July and October by over 100 per cent.

Kanu attributed the success achieved to the free education programme of the Governor Otti-led administration in primary and junior secondary schools.

He added that the figures were generated from the outcome of a recent data collection exercise by the Abia State Basic Education Board (ASUBEB) based on figures supplied by schools and local government education authorities across the state.

“This is an indication that the confidence and trust in our public school system is increasing by the day as a result of the reforms being implemented in the educational sector across the state by this administration.

“The reforms, of course, include and are not limited to an increase in the number of newly recruited teachers. Regular payment of teacher salaries, financial compensation for teachers in difficult-to-access areas, an increase in the retirement age of teachers from 60 to 65 years, regular training and retraining of teachers, improvement in the learning environment, and adoption of new curricula for other schools, amongst others,” Prince Kanu explained.

The Commissioner used the opportunity to announce that Governor Alex Otti would, on Wednesday, 29th October, commission the Umueñe Court Building Complex, located in Isialangwa South Local Government Area.

According to him, “This is in line with the ongoing reform agenda of the state’s justice delivery system.

“The state government is constructing 17 new courthouses across the 17 local government areas of the state. The Umueñe Courthouse, therefore, represents the first of the 17 courthouses to be constructed.

“The new courthouses are state-of-the-art and equipped with best-in-class facilities that will improve the cost of the justice delivery system in the state.

“The new courthouses will become beacons of innovation and technological advancement in the justice delivery system”, Prince Kanu stated.

The Commissioner used the opportunity to advise Abians to be mindful of their safety on the roads during these ember months. He said that motorists are expected to obey traffic rules in order not to endanger their lives and the lives of other road users.

“Of particular focus is the issue of driving against traffic, referred to as ‘one-way driving’. Because of the menace that this practice poses on our roads.

“The State Ministry of Transport, through the Harmonised Taskforce and in collaboration with the Federal Road Safety Commission, has launched a campaign codenamed ‘Road Safety is a Shared Responsibility – Drive to Arrive’.

“No matter how highly placed in society, if you are caught violating the traffic line rules, you will be made to face the full wrath of the law.

“A situation whereby even the governor of the state obeys traffic rules, which is a convoy. No motorist in the state will have reasons not to comply fully with the traffic rules in the state,” Prince Kanu emphasised.

The Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Barr. Ikechukwu Uwanna, SAN, and the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Mr Ferdinand Ekeoma, were present at the event.