Abia State governor, Dr. Alex Otti has assured the state civil servants that his administration will adequately address the issue of minimum wage.
The governor who disclosed this at the Government House, Umuahia during this month’s edition of Media chat tagged: "Dr. Alex Otti Speaks to Abians," said he had directed the Chairman Civil Service Commission and Head of Service to look into the matter with a view to giving the matter the needed attention.
"At the last EXCO meeting, I had instructed the Chairman of the Civil Service Commission and the Head of Service to sit down and look at promotions and the like and from report that I got I think the last time promotions were done was in 2021 so that throws up quite some challenges. At least, let's look at it and see what we can do. So, we are not ignoring it. But you must also admit that a lot of things went wrong just like every other sector," Gov. Otti stated.
According to the governor, government is prioritizing the welfare of workers, hence the regular payments of salaries and pensions to deserving ones. He assured that arrears of leave allowances would be paid.
"We are now looking at Minimum wage for civil servants . My understanding of leave allowances is that they are due when you go on leave. We don't have any problem paying people who are going on leave. If there are arrears that have not been paid," he said.
Governor Otti said that his focus in his second year in office will be to move Abia economy from the analogue to digital economy, assuring that “we are preparing Abia state for that next century”.
He hinted that in the days ahead he would be appointing a chief Information technologist to prepare the state for digital transformation, which would be heralded by the broadband technology that the state is already in its final stages of discussion.
Areas of focus in his second year in office would be infrastructure, education, health, agriculture, security and others .
Noting that access is key to a thriving economy, Governor Otti assured that his infrastructural revolution will be extended to all the nooks and crannies of the 17 LGAS in the next few months.
Already, a total of 90 roads have been rehabilitated through direct labour by the state Ministry of Works. A breakdown shows that 16 roads are already reconstructed and commissioned by this administration, while another 16 new roads totaling 165 Kilometers are under construction and rehabilitation across the 3 Senatorial zones of the state.
His words: “All we are aiming at is that Wherever you are, you can have access to data concerning Abia state. Government's plans to digitally transform the Abia economy and boost technology in the state would be heralded by the broadband technology which would provide access to Internet”.
On the health sector, the governor said all general hospitals in the state are being retrofitted while that of primary healthcare centres are being done in batches. He also talked about building a Medical village in Abia, in collaboration with Abians in the diaspora.
On Agriculture, Governor Otti said that the sector is receiving the needed attention to ensure food security, noting that the first batch of 300 Abians drawn from various wards of the state have been sent to the CSS Farms in Nasarawa state to be trained on various agricultural value- chains. On successful completion of their training, each of them will be assisted to established on their own and employ others in their farms. They will also be expected to trainother farmers in their various fields of training.
He said that the government is partnering organizations and companies in areas of palm oil, cocoa, rice and other agricultural value chains, noting that the idea is to ensure food security in the state.
On security the governor, who restated his avowed commitment to bringing to account anyone remotely or directly involved in the recent killing of five soldiers at the Obikabia Junction few weeks ago, said his governrnment is taking the issue of security seriously.
“Operation Crush is more poised now to deal decisively with criminal elements in the state.Nobody connected with this crime will be left unpunished," he assured.
In answer to another question about the suspended Commissioner for Health, Dr. Ngozi Okoronkwo, the governor stressed there is nothing wrong in suspending someone holding a public office when serious allegations are made against the appointee. He disclosed that a committee has been set up to investigate the allegations against the appointees, saying, "by the time the committee completes its work, their report will be turned-in and decision will be taken."
Governor Alex Otti also revealed that a committee has been set up to rid the streets of the state of the mentally challenged individuals.
On finance to back his activities for the second year, Otti said he will approach the Abia State House of Assembly for more funds when he runs short of cash, to enable him sustain the progress of work at all fronts.
Answering another question on Education, Otti stated that the Abia state College of Education (Technical) Arochukwu will be charged with the task of training and retraining teachers. He said most of the qualified teachers who left the classrooms to the various Government Ministries are being sorted out, retrained and bundled back to the classrooms to teach.
He used the occasion to clear the doubt that the proposed South-East University will share same premises with the State College of Education; being packed to be upgraded into a University of Education.
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