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Umuahia – Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, has called on the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to assist in identifying individuals involved in padding salaries on the government payroll and uncovering ghost workers within the state civil service.
Alex Otti made this plea while receiving the State council of the NLC, emphasizing that there are still individuals within the system engaged in salary padding and other fraudulent activities. He urged the NLC to collaborate in identifying such culprits who are causing financial losses to the government.
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Governor Alex Otti acknowledged the presence of non-working personnel on the payroll, stressing that these individuals are essentially stealing from the public funds. He challenged the NLC to consider this as a responsibility and play a role in exposing such malpractices.
Despite not distributing funds as lavishly as previous administrations, Alex Otti asserted that his focus has been on creating a conducive environment for the citizens’ well-being and attracting companies back to the state, addressing the infrastructural decay that led to their departure.
Governor Alex Otti assured that his administration is reviewing the N35,000 wage award sanctioned by the federal government for workers and is in the process of considering its implementation.
He disclosed the formation of a committee tasked with studying the matter, with the initial report already submitted. Otti emphasized his commitment to addressing the discriminatory salary structure for health workers by directing the Commissioner for Finance to investigate the consolidated health salary structure (CONHESS) issue in the state.
Furthermore, Governor Otti pledged to thoroughly examine salary arrears owed by previous administrations to Abia workers across various government entities, including ABSUTH, ASUBEB, ASCETA, Abiapoly, primary school teachers, and others. He highlighted ongoing efforts in collaboration with the Nigerian Union of Pensioners to resolve pension arrears owed to retirees in the state.
In response, the State Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Comrade Ogbonnaya Okoro, urged the Governor to consider implementing the N35,000 wage bill for workers, address the perceived high-handedness of certain government appointees toward civil servants, and settle outstanding salary arrears ranging from 3-30 months owed to workers by previous administrations.
Okoro also brought attention to issues such as worker verification, delayed salaries, and reported victimization of workers by Valumbra Flour Mills in Aba. He commended Governor Otti for adhering to the promise of paying salaries to Abia workers on the 28th of each month and encouraged continued collaboration with workers as an integral part of the administration. Okoro expressed satisfaction with the positive changes happening in the state, affirming that the decision for change was the right one.
