Otti moves to clear Abia’s pension arrears dating back to 2001

Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti, has announced that his administration will soon begin phased payments of long-standing gratuities and pension arrears, some of which have remained unsettled since 2001.

Speaking during his monthly media briefing at Government House, Umuahia, on Friday night, Otti disclosed that the government had concluded a comprehensive review of all outstanding claims. He said the state worked jointly with the Nigerian Union of Pensioners to verify legitimate entitlements before deciding on the payment structure.

According to the governor, a committee comprising representatives of the national pension union and senior government officials submitted its final report earlier in the week. The findings, he said, show that verified arrears exceed ₦60 billion, liabilities he described as “a burden stretching over two decades”.

Otti stressed that his administration is prepared to confront inherited financial obligations rather than ignore them. “Government is a continuous institution. You inherit both the assets and the liabilities, and you must deal with them,” he said.

He assured retired workers that their gratuities would be settled gradually, while noting that current civil servants receive their salaries promptly. He also addressed the recent payment glitch affecting newly recruited teachers, stating that he had directed officials to resolve the issue immediately. “No one is to rest until every affected teacher is paid,” he added.

The governor revealed that the state reopened its recruitment portal to fill 4,000 teaching positions and received nearly 28,000 applications in two weeks. He said the enthusiastic response reflects renewed confidence in the system, and insisted that the process would remain transparent and immune to political interference.

Otti also noted that the ongoing recruitment of medical personnel has reached its closing stages, with some applicants applying from beyond Nigeria. He cited fresh national assessments ranking Abia as the country’s most prepared state for medical emergencies, and highlighted its top position in intra-city transport affordability.

He explained that newly acquired electric buses would be deployed before the end of the year to further ease transport costs. Road construction projects across the state have resumed following the end of the rainy season, with contractors instructed to accelerate work.

Providing an update on land administration, the governor stated that Abia had issued over 30,000 Certificates of Occupancy in two and a half years, enabled by reforms that guarantee approval within 30 days. He said the automation of the application system has removed delays and unlocked economic value previously trapped in bureaucratic bottlenecks.

On revenue, Otti said the state is strengthening its recovery mechanisms and will apply the law uniformly. The Harmonised Task Force, he said, will only act after due process, including the issuance of demand notices and securing a court order.

He added that the government continues to upgrade schools, strengthen curricula and rehabilitate infrastructure across education institutions. Twenty-four courses at the Abia State College of Education (Technical) and Architecture have recently regained accreditation, while development work is ongoing at Abia State University and Dr Ogbonnaya Onu Polytechnic.

The governor also highlighted improvements in electricity supply, infrastructure upgrades and increased support for the National Youth Service Corps, including improved allowances and rehabilitation of camp facilities in Bende.

Otti said the state had attempted to consider pardons for minor offenders, but that no inmate among the 1,900 reviewed had been convicted for minor crimes.