Otti engages Abia workers on new minimum wage, announces new package for teachers, nurses.

Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti has said his administration has opened discussions with the leaderships of labour unions in the state on modalities for payment of the new N70,000 national minimum wage based on the available recourses of the state.

Governor Otti who stated this during his monthly media interaction with newsmen at the Government House, Umuahia, explained that while the State Government team is working with the Labour Unions on the modalities, it will still await further clarifications from the federal government on the way forward as well as forward an enabling bill to the State House of Assembly to legislate on some relevant sections of the Law on state and Local government funds, respectively.

It will be recalled that President Bola Tinubu signed the new minimum wage into law on July 29, 2024, after meeting with leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria.

Following the assent of the new law, 27 states and the Federal Capital Territory are yet to set up committees to implement the recently approved N70,000 minimum wage.

The states are Plateau, Kebbi, Sokoto, Nasarawa, Bayelsa, Delta, Osun, Ekiti, Zamfara, Benue, Enugu, Taraba, Gombe, Kogi, Enugu, Adamawa, Niger, Anambra, Imo, Ebonyi, Oyo, Akwa Ibom, Bauchi, Katsina, Kaduna, Cross River and Yobe.
On the other hand, seven states, namely; Kano, Kwara, Ogun, Borno, Jigawa, Ondo, and Abia, respectively, have set up implementation committees.

Meanwhile, Only Lagos and Edo claimed to have started paying the new minimum wage.

Indeed, as Gov. Otti put it, “A committee has already been set up. The government team, together with the Nigeria Labour Congress is already working. We are not keeping quiet. We are already making progress.”

However, the governor used the interactive session to put to rest rumours making the rounds in town that the immediate past state commissioner for Health ,Dr. Ngozi Okoronkwo resigned because of financial impropriety.

The governor made it clear that, “there was no financial impropriety in the report of the panel set up by government to look into the activities of the former Commissioner.

“The committee investigative panel on former health commissioner turned in its report and there were no financial impropriety found, but there were conducts that were not consistent with laid down policies and procedures of government,” he said.

“I want to repeat that money was not stolen. There were procedures that were abused. And since she offered to resign, the government decided to accept her resignation.”

Otti also stated that the former Commissioner for Science and Technology who also resigned his appointment, recently, had no case with him and the Government of Abia State.
The governor also explained that the issue of sending civil servants to classrooms as teachers would only apply to such workers who had requisite trainings to ensure that square pegs are put in square holes.

He revealed that a discriminatory compensation package would be introduced for teachers in Abia state school system, in addition to the extension of their retirement ages from 60 to 65 years.

Gov Otti also announced plans to extend the retirement age of nurses in the state from 60 to 65 years.

The Governor re-iterated the priority areas of his administration to include Security, Health, Agriculture, Education, Infrastructure and Digital Technology, among others.

He said that his administration is at the point of digitizing all government activities and has hired a professional who will launch Abia public service in the digital world for a seamless operation.

Answering another question on when Abia state would conduct local government election, the governor said that the time table for local government elections will be out as soon as some legislative matters are put in place by the State House of Assembly.

On Security issues, Otti noted that there have been remarkable improvement owing to the gallantry of men of operation of the “Operation Crush Outfit” who are working round the clock to smoke out criminals from all nooks and crannies of the State.

The governor disclosed that he has not borrowed to finance the numerous on-going projects in the state, but would do so at the appropriate time.

He, however, said that he would continue to be focused and ensure financial prudence.

“So far, we have been operating without borrowing a Kobo, but we have quite a few offers from African development Bank, Islamic development Bank and a few others.So far, we have not accessed any. The state of the State’s Economy is healthy. We will continue to put our eyes on the ball,” he said.

He used the forum to thank Abians for heeding to his plea of not joining the recent hunger protest, noting that participation in the protest would have disrupted the prevailing peace and security in the state.

He argued that protest, though allowed by the constitution, could be hijacked by criminal elements to unleash mayhem on innocent citizens .
The Governor further declared that as a government that responds to the yearnings and aspiration of the people, his administration will continue to do things that will keep improving the living standards of the people with emphasis on priority areas such as health, education, agriculture, infrastructure, digital economy among others.

On the fate of some disengaged casual workers who were employed by the past administration as town planners in Obingwa, Osisioma, Isialangwa North and South LGA’s as well as Aba metropolis Council, the governor explained that most of them had no qualifications to do what they were employed to do.

He, however, assured that those of them who were qualified Town Planners will be formally absorbed into the Abia state civil service system and remunerated accordingly.