In line with the promise made by Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, salary arrears owed to workers of various institutions in the state by previous administrations began to be paid on Friday.
An official source close to the State Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, confirmed that the affected institutions include Abia State University Uturu, Abia State Polytechnic Aba, Abia State College of Education (Technical) Arochukwu, Abia State Teaching Hospital Aba, and the Health Management Board Umuahia.
Other institutions listed include the College of Health Sciences Aba, the Abia State Universal Basic Education Board, the Secondary Education Management Board, and several other state-owned institutions of higher learning.
Kanu in a statement, he issued, said, “The office of the Accountant General has commenced the payment of the arrears to all verified workers amounting to N17, 629,767,342,09 (Seventeen billion, six hundred and twenty-nine million, seven hundred and sixty-seven thousand, three hundred and forty-two, nine Kobo only).
“The Abia State Government wishes to state that the payment will follow a 12-month amortization plan with the first batch already disbursed to the affected institutions. This structured payment is meant to ensure that other areas of governance do not suffer from a lack of attention due to limited financial resources.
“By this development, the Dr Alex Otti-led administration has once more demonstrated its commitment to the promotion and sustenance of the welfare of Abia State civil servants at all times.”
In a separate statement on the matter, the Chief Press Secretary to the state governor, Ukoha Njoku Ukoha, confirmed the information, stating, “Governor Alex Otti has paid the first installment of the salary arrears owed to workers by the previous administration.”
“The governor earmarked N1.5 billion monthly to instalmentally offset the N18 Billion arrears of salaries within 12 Months. Governor Otti feels fulfilled with the thunderous jubilation and excitement of Abia workers than the bitterness of those denied access to Statutory workers and retirees entitlements”.
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A few weeks before he was replaced, the former Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Mike Akpara, stated during a press conference that the Abia State Government planned to settle the salary arrears owed to staff of state-owned institutions of higher learning in installments. He also assured that the government would pay off the salary arrears owed to some workers in the state civil service in batches.
Mr. Akpara explained that the current administration inherited billions of naira in salary arrears owed to workers in these institutions. He added that the government is committed to clearing the debts while ensuring that progress in other sectors of the economy remains unaffected.
“For salary arrears, the Governor has set up machinery in motion to ensure that salary arrears would become a thing of the past. One thing I will promise is that it would be paid but it is not going to be in one sweep. We will do it in instalments so that it does not hamper the progress of other sectors of the economy.
“The past government owed Abia State Polytechnic -v33 months, College of Education Arochukwu – 22 months, Abia State University – 11 months. The Hospital Management Board was owed for several months. Theirs was humongous. We also have ASUBEB and SEMB the total amounts being owed to them is over a N4billion”, Akpara explained.
The Finance Commissioner had announced that payments to workers in state-owned institutions of learning would commence in July or August, with the goal of completing the payments by the end of the year.
He also mentioned that the State Government had already paid the April and May salary arrears owed to workers at Abia State University (ABSU), highlighting the current administration’s commitment to ending the practice of owing workers’ salaries and resolving the long-standing issue of unpaid wages.
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