LINGERING PENSION ARREARS ISSUES TO END THIS MARCH, GOV. OTTI ASSURES, SAYS COMMITTEE IN SALARY INCREMENT FOR WORKERS ON COURSE
Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti , OFR has assured that by the end of this month the long lingering pension arrears issues in Abia State will be resolved permanently as a lot of progress have been made in that regard.
Governor Otti gave the assurance while speaking during the monthly media chart tagged ” Governor Alex Otti speaks to Abians”. He said that his administration is very passionate in ensuring that all bottleneck surrounding the issue of pension arrears are completely resolved.
On why some civil servants are yet to receive their salaries for some months even after undergoing verification, the Governor said a meeting has been fixed with the Accountant General and Commissioner for Finance to resolve issues responsible for why those affected do not receive their salaries alongside co-workers.
On upward review of salaries of Abia workers as promised and the federal government wage award to workers across the country,Governor Otti said that a committee has been working on modalities and implementation of same, assuring that the report of the committee is being expected soonest.
On programmes of the State government in ensuring food security, the State Chief Executive noted that road infrastructure, improved security and other initiatives being taking by his government are all geared towards creating the right atmosphere for Abians to access their farm lands freely while the ministry of Agriculture is making sure that all available land in the state are cultivated this farming season for food sufficiency.
The Governor added that efforts are on to retrieve farm estates which are in the hands of private investors currently said that plans are under way to make available funds to 100 farmers and small business owners in each of the 17 LGAS of the State in the first instance while efforts will be made to extend the gesture to the ward level.
“We are working round the clock to see that all lands that are available particularly to the State are cultivated this planting season. They are quite a lot of plantations that we are still trying to disentangle . Some of them have been concessioned by previous governments to people who are actually not planting them and we have in the last few months been engaged in trying to disentangle some of those concessions.
We also have programmes that support people involved in agriculture and trade and commerce at the very low level. The cooperative arrangements that we just put in place would make available not less than 100 thousand Naira to farmers and traders , I believe a hundred of them per Local Government in the first instance and then, we would go to the wards “
Governor Otti while noting that he has given approval for the renovation and retrofitting of 170 primary schools and 51 secondary schools across the 17 LGAS of the State in addition to other interventions in the education sector, said all he is doing is to arm Abians with the right skills and knowledge to be relevant in the competitive global market.
“Just today , at our EXCO we approved the remodeling and retrofitting of 170 primary schools and 51 secondary schools across the length and breadth of the State . The whole idea is that, at the end of the year all our schools will have received the touch of rehabilitation and retrofitting.
So as time goes on yiu will see that our schools will begin to wear a different look. And a standard school in Abia must look a certain way and when we are done with that , we also have a lot of things because the school is not just a structure, the most important, the curricula, what are we teaching our children. We must teach them what will be relevant in the 21st century”
Governor Otti, who described this month’s media chat as special as it falls on 18th of March, being exactly one year Abia people and residents elected him the Governor of the State used the opportunity to thank the people for voting him and God Almighty for the opportunity granted him to serve Abia people.
Azubuike Jinanwa/ Divine Nwankwo
Govt. House Press, Umuahia.
