Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti, has ordered the harmonisation of the 2023 and 2025 Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) for medical workers at the Abia State University Teaching Hospital (ABSUTH), Aba.
The directive followed the governor’s displeasure over the failure of the Abia State University, Uturu, and ABSUTH management to fully implement an earlier approval for the 2023 CONMESS.
Otti issued the directive on Thursday while receiving a progress report from the ABSUTH Board and Management, led by its Chairman, Dr Ezinne Kalu, at the Governor’s Office in Umuahia.
The governor said the 2023 salary structure, which he had earlier approved, would have placed Abia’s health workers in a more favourable position than their counterparts in the Federal Public Service before the structure was reviewed in 2025.
He expressed surprise that the earlier approval had not been implemented, noting that he had taken the financial implications into consideration before granting the approval.
“When the request came, my understanding was that it was going to be better than the Federal. Before I approved it, I asked a question about total cost of employment so that I can crosscheck with my budget.
“So, when I looked at it, I found that we could accommodate it, I approved it. Going back to what you have is strange. Let's make this job easier for ourselves,” Otti said.
He directed the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Dr Ifeyinwa Uma-Kalu, and ABSUTH Chief Medical Director, Prof Nneka Okoronkwo, to work together on the harmonisation and submit the financial implications and recommendations to the government.
Otti said the government needed clear figures showing the difference between the 2023 and 2025 structures before taking a final decision on the implementation.
“If you subtract A from B, then you will get the data, so we can look at our numbers to know where it’s going to come from. Once we know we have clarity on where it’s going to come from, then we’ll get it approved,” he said.
On staffing, the governor urged ABSUTH management to adopt a phased approach to recruitment, with priority given to doctors, nurses and other critical healthcare professionals.
He disclosed that his administration had approved the recruitment of 861 health workers for other levels of healthcare, excluding ABSUTH, with 670 already recruited within the last six months.
The governor said recruitment was still ongoing but stressed that improved welfare was necessary to retain skilled personnel.
According to him, Abia risks losing its healthcare professionals to states and jurisdictions offering better conditions if the welfare package at the state’s health institutions is not competitive.
Otti said his administration’s investment in healthcare, including the allocation of 15 per cent of the state’s annual budget to the sector, was aimed at ensuring that residents had access to quality and affordable healthcare.
He added that improving the welfare and working conditions of medical personnel remained an important component of the government’s health sector reforms.
The governor also reiterated his commitment to transforming ABSUTH into a world-class tertiary healthcare institution.
He said the initial phase of the hospital’s rehabilitation involved restoring accreditations that had been lost for more than two years before his administration assumed office.
Otti disclosed that some facilities previously concessioned to private entities by the former administration had also been recovered after negotiations and settlements.
He said the facilities had since been returned to ABSUTH management.
On electricity supply, the governor directed the Commissioner for Power to engage ABSUTH management and develop a sustainable power supply arrangement for the hospital.
He said the presence of Geometric Power in Abia should make it possible to address the hospital’s electricity challenges, given the critical nature of its operations.
While acknowledging the challenges surrounding gas supply to Geometric Power, Otti said the Niger Delta Power Holding Company had indicated its willingness to work with the company to develop an alternative gas supply arrangement.
The governor said he had personally engaged relevant stakeholders on the issue.
Otti also disclosed that the state government was working to provide a suitable facility for the installation of the Tesla MRI machine donated to ABSUTH by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The equipment, he said, was valued at more than $1 million.
“We are working round the clock to get accommodation for it. You may also have seen that a lot of other works are going on in the Teaching Hospital and we will not stop,” he said.
Earlier, the ABSUTH Board Chairman, Dr Ezinne Kalu, presented a report titled “Stabilising Today: Building the Teaching Hospital Abia Deserves.”
She said the report focused on three areas: Appreciation, Evidence and Decision.
Kalu said the board’s assessment showed that public confidence in ABSUTH had been restored and that the institution was transitioning from what she described as “institutional rescue” to “operational consolidation”.
The Chief Medical Director, Prof Nneka Okoronkwo, thanked the governor for his intervention in the crisis involving house officers, residents and other interns at the hospital.
She said Otti had approved the payment of interns’ salaries, the settlement of outstanding salaries owed to three ABSUTH workers for two years, payment of MDCAN shortfalls arising from the centralisation of payments and the promotion of eligible staff.
In his remarks, the Deputy Board Chairman and Provost of the College of Medicine, Prof Chuks Kamanu, commended the governor for responding to the board’s requests.
Kamanu said ABSUTH had, for the first time in 16 years, operated without a strike since Otti became governor three years ago.
He added that the hospital was currently recording 100 per cent bed occupancy, with each doctor attending to an average of 100 patients weekly.
Kamanu further expressed support for Otti’s re-election bid in 2027, saying his continued leadership would be in the interest of the institution.
The Secretary to the State Government, Dr Emmanuel Meribole, was also present during the meeting.
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