Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, says his administration has so far committed over N40 billion in offsetting arrears of salaries and pensions owed by previous administrations in the State, stating that he is ready to do more.
Governor Otti disclosed this at the Umuahia Township Stadium, Thursday during the grand finale of the activities marking his 2nd year anniversary in office, noting that his administration has ended the dark era of owing civil servants and pensioners in the State.
The Governor while saying that he has through regular payment of salaries, provided civil servants with the platform to plan ahead, stated that he has equally put a stop to a partial payment of pensions as pensioners now receive their full monthly pensions alongside civil servants on the 28th of every month.
He informed that he had retrofitted the long abandoned Old Nnamdi Azikiwe Secretariat which now accommodates over one thousand workers, while his internet initiative which would launch Abia civil service into a paperless era would soon commence, as the provision of a network for all Abians would take effect by end of the year.
“When we came in, salaries were being owed. Pensions were also being owed. Some of our institutions of higher learning, including the Abia State University Teaching Hospital, had lost accreditation.
“Within 24 months, we have spent well over N40 billion in payment of arrears of salaries and pensions. And, I’m glad to report to you today that as we speak, I’m not sure we owe anybody.
“At the moment, one of our vendors is working to ensure that we digitalize our operations. Computers have been made available, and very soon, the old practice of carrying files up and down will be a thing of the past. By the end of this year, December 31, precisely, if you are in any part of Abia State, you can be sure to get network and Internet connectivity.
“Of course, the first ever Abia Digital Mall, and that is to be competed with other e-commerce platforms so that you can, from the comfort of your home, place an order and the goods will be delivered right to your doorstep,” Gov. Otti stated, and highlighted his achievements in the area of education, road infrastructure, health and security among others.
He emphasized on the proposed medical city and its potential, which is intended to address the medical needs of all people from Nigeria, reverse medical tourism, which statistics show that we spend between $2 to $2.5 Billion Dollars annually to take care of our health outside Nigeria, stating “The idea of the medical village is that anywhere you are in Nigeria, if you think of proper Healthcare delivery system, you will think of Abia State.
According to him, “What we are doing as a Government is to create the enabling environment for our businesses to thrive. So, when you see the roads that we are building, when you see us retrofitting the markets, when you see us cleaning up the environment, we are doing that, so that your businesses will thrive.
“I want to thank you for the massive support that we received before the election, during the election, and most importantly, after the swearing-in on the 29th of May, 2023. We cannot take your support for granted and assured that the 3rd year of his administration would witness sustained momentum in line with the theme of the event.
In their speeches, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe and Hon. Ginger Onwusibe, the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Emmanuel Emeruwa and the Deputy Speaker, Rt. Hon. Austin Meregini maintained that, there is no vacancy in Abia Government House, come 2027.
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