In addressing the country’s escalating inflation, Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has actively engaged stakeholders to enhance the minimum wage for state workers.
During December’s monthly media chat at the Government House in Umuahia, Otti stressed the importance of aligning civil servants’ pay with Nigeria’s current economic realities.
“We do understand that things are a bit more difficult for the people. We are engaging with stakeholders to see how we can improve the pay of civil servants in line with the present economic realities: where exchange rates have converged upwards, fuel subsidy has been removed and inflation is heading to 30%,” Otti stated, underlining the challenging economic landscape.
He assured that an official announcement regarding this initiative would be made in due course, reflecting his commitment to addressing the pressing concerns of state workers.
Beyond the minimum wage, Governor Otti clarified that recently retired permanent secretaries and directors would receive their due arrears of salaries and gratuities. He reiterated his commitment to settling pension arrears, fulfilling a prior promise to prioritize the financial well-being of public servants.
In the wide-ranging discussion, Otti also dispelled misconceptions about his residence, emphasizing that he is not living in the Government House. Additionally, he raised concerns about his predecessor’s decision to commission an unfinished building, highlighting the dilapidated state of the existing structure.
“My predecessor commissioned an uncompleted building. That’s a deceit of the highest order. He didn’t need to commission it. The question to ask is: construction started with the administration of T.A Orji, why didn’t they complete it and move into it? But he waited until the twilight of his administration. When we went to inspect it, we found out that he did a fantastic job on the ground floor.
“It was finished well but of course, it had no bedrooms. Bedrooms were on the upper floors. The upper floors were not touched. The second floor was not even plastered. So why commission? So, I looked at it and found that it was not ready for occupation. The whole environment was also not ready to receive a governor. The office block has been abandoned for several years. So, that place was not a place anybody could live”
“Now, I came back here and also found out that the Governor’s lodge and Governor’s office were also in a dilapidated state. I sent some government engineers and valuers and they came with an estimated bill for the office alone: over N550 million. I looked at it and said, if I have N550 million, I will deploy it to other sectors, I decided to operate from my house while I take the renovations one by one as the State finances would carry,” Otti said about the old Government House.
| Sahara Reporters
