Governor Alex Otti of Abia State reassured civil servants that his administration has no intention of implementing mass layoffs.
According to The PUNCH, the governor who made this known during a media chat reaffirmed his commitment to improving the state’s civil service, emphasizing the importance of productivity and efficiency.
Addressing rumors of impending retrenchments, Otti said, “There is nothing like mass retrenchment. We have not even thought about it. There’s nothing in the pipeline.”
The governor highlighted his administration’s efforts to ensure timely salary payments, which he believes has already contributed to increased performance among workers.
“Before the end of every month, civil servants get paid, so there is no excuse for truancy anymore,” he noted.
Governor Otti, however, warned that truancy will not be tolerated under his administration. “People who were used to not going to work, we told them that our administration does not tolerate truancy. If they are afraid, maybe they are guilty,” he remarked, dispelling any connection between absenteeism and potential retrenchments.
He also addressed concerns over the previous disengagement of non-indigenes from the state’s workforce, expressing satisfaction that several affected workers had been reinstated.
Otti assured that the remaining cases were being reviewed for possible reemployment.
“As a policy, I treat people equally, even if you’re from the North and you live here. Once you live in Abia, you are from Abia that is our principle,” the governor said, reinforcing his administration’s stance on non-discrimination in public service.
Governor Otti concluded by reiterating that his administration values contributions from all residents of the state, regardless of their origin, and that efforts are underway to reintegrate more affected workers back into the civil service.
