Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has announced that his administration will soon begin the phased payment of verified gratuity and pension arrears that have been outstanding since 2001.
Otti made this known during his monthly media briefing with journalists at the Government House in Umuahia on Friday night.
He explained that the state government had examined all unresolved pension claims and collaborated closely with the pension union to authenticate outstanding gratuities before making any decisions on payment.
He stated, “The committee that we set up between the national body of the Nigerian Union of Pensioners and members of my administration has just handed in the report.
“If you recall, after appeals had been made, we decided to look at it again and we have done that. It is disheartening that pensions have remained outstanding since 2001, and the total verified outstanding pensions is in excess of N60 billion.”
Otti referred to the backlog as “a very large number, dating back over 20 years”, and stressed the need to take responsibility for inherited obligations.
“Government is continuous, and whatever you are handed over, you deal with it. If it is assets, if it is liability, you pick all of them. We are unafraid to work out a solution,” he said.
He reassured pensioners that his administration would not neglect them.
“One thing I would like to assure our pensioners is that their gratuity will be paid gradually,” he said.
Otti affirmed that workers’ salaries were current, stressing that employee welfare was a major priority for his government.
He also addressed a recent payment issue affecting newly hired teachers.
He said, “I have instructed everyone involved that they cannot have a weekend until every affected teacher is paid. By the end of Sunday, all the people who are affected will receive their salaries.”
The governor added that the state had reopened its recruitment portal to hire 4,000 teachers, receiving 27,980 applications within two weeks.
“That shows the excitement and approval coming from prospective teachers.
“We will go through the process like we did the first time and ensure that the recruitment is transparently done. One thing I would like to assure our people is that the process cannot be manipulated under my watch.
“You can go home and sleep knowing fully well that if you qualify, you will be taken, and if you don’t qualify, no matter who you know, you will not be taken,” Otti said.
He further noted that the recruitment of medical staff was nearing completion, with some applicants coming from outside Nigeria.
He highlighted recent national assessments by SBM Intelligence, noting that Abia ranked as the most prepared state for medical emergencies.
He also mentioned that the state led the Kevlin Index for affordable intra-city transport.
“While a trip costs about N542 in Abia, the state that came last costs N1,399, and the difference is like day and night,” he said.
Otti said the newly procured electric buses would be rolled out before the end of the year to further reduce transportation costs.
He also said road construction had resumed statewide after the rainy season, with contractors directed to accelerate their work.
Discussing land administration, he reported that Abia had issued 30,562 Certificates of Occupancy in two and a half years.
“Two years ago, we introduced the C-of-O-in-30-days policy. As of yesterday, we have issued about 30,562, while some states have not achieved this number in eight years. The goal is to unlock value that was trapped because of the difficulty in issuing C-of-Os. We automated the process, so once it gets to me, I simply sign and return it,” he said.
Otti said revenue recovery efforts were being strengthened and applied fairly across all debtors.
He said, “We don’t look at faces; we look at numbers. Anyone who is owing will be visited by the Harmonised Task Force after due process, including a court order. We do not move in without demand notices and a court order. We are a government with a human face, but government cannot function without adequate revenue.”
The governor added that the state continued refurbishing and fencing schools while updating academic curricula.
He announced that 24 programmes at the Abia State College of Education (Technical) and Architecture had regained accreditation.
He also said that development initiatives were advancing at the Abia State University and Dr Ogbonnaya Onu Polytechnic, where students manufacture waste buckets used by the Abia State Environmental Protection Agency.
He pointed to improvements in electricity supply and infrastructure, saying: “This is the Abia we envisioned.”
Otti added that beyond increasing National Youth Service Corps allowances from N4,000 to between N20,000 and N50,000, the government had rehabilitated the roads, lighting, and water systems at the NYSC camp in Bende to improve living conditions.
He noted that the government was assisting the Nigerian Correctional Service by constructing perimeter fencing and a larger holding facility to reduce overcrowding.
Otti said efforts to exercise his prerogative of mercy on minor offenders had been hindered because none of the 1,900 inmates was convicted for minor crimes.
“I have asked the Zonal Coordinator to review again and identify anyone eligible for pardon as we approach year-end,” Otti said.
