Salary Arrears Payment Begins In Abia’s Tertiary Institutions Under Alex Otti’s Leadership

Governor Alex Otti’s administration has commenced the payment of salary arrears owed to tertiary institutions in the state.

Ireporteronline understands there was a sense of joy among the staff of tertiary institutions in the state during the weekend as they began to receive notifications from their banks regarding the disbursement of their long-overdue salary arrears, which total ₦17.6 billion.

A viral video reportedly captured some Abia Polytechnic employees in Aba celebrating and expressing their gratitude to Governor Alex Otti for fulfilling his commitment to address the arrears through monthly payments of ₦1.5 billion.

In a statement, the Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, announced that the State Government has initiated the monthly payments of ₦1.5 billion and intends to continue this process for a duration of 12 months until the outstanding debt is fully settled.

The statement issued Saturday reads: “In line with the promise of the Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Chioma Otti, to defray arrears of salaries owed workers of institutions in the state by previous administrations, the office of the Accountant General has commenced the payment of the arrears to all verified workers amounting to ₦17, 629,767,342,09.

“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 lack of attention due to limited financial resources.

“By this development, the 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, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Ukoha Njoku Ukoha, expressed disappointment that individuals who incurred the debt during their tenure continue to criticize the Governor rather than acknowledging his efforts in “resolving their issues.”

“Ironically, those who looted and plundered salaries of State workers will still shamelessly criticise the Governor for cleaning their mess in the name of opposition politics.

“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”, Ukoha said.