In a significant move to address long-standing salary arrears owed by previous administrations, the Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, has commenced the payment of N17.6 billion in arrears to workers in various state-owned institutions.
According to The PUNCH, the payments are part of the administration’s promise to clear outstanding wages in a structured 12-month plan.
Institutions benefiting from this initiative include Abia State University, Uturu; Abia State Polytechnic, Aba; Abia State College of Education (Technical), Arochukwu; Abia State Teaching Hospital, Aba; Health Management Board, Umuahia; as well as the College of Health Sciences, Aba.
The Abia State Universal Basic Education Board and the Secondary Education Management Board are also included.
According to Prince Okey Kanu, the state’s Commissioner for Information, the first tranche of the payment has already been disbursed to the affected institutions.
“The office of the Accountant General has commenced the payment of the arrears to all verified workers amounting to N17,629,767,342.09. This structured payment will ensure that other sectors of governance do not suffer due to limited financial resources,” Kanu said in a statement.
The payment plan, which follows a 12-month amortization schedule, is designed to gradually clear the salary arrears while ensuring that governance across other sectors remains on track.
Ukoha Njoku Ukoha, the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, confirmed the payment in a separate statement. He noted, “Governor Alex Otti has paid the first tranche of the arrears owed by the previous administration.
The governor has allocated N1.5 billion monthly to offset the N18 billion arrears of salaries within 12 months. The excitement of Abia workers is a testament to the fulfillment of this administration’s promise.”
The previous administration left behind significant salary debts, with workers in institutions like Abia State Polytechnic owed 33 months, the College of Education (Arochukwu) owed 22 months, and Abia State University owed 11 months. The Health Management Board and other institutions were also severely affected.
Governor Otti’s administration, in a bid to remedy this, had promised to clear the arrears in installments to prevent disruptions to other sectors of the economy. “We are committed to ensuring that salary arrears will soon be a thing of the past,” the governor’s team reiterated.
