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From Okey Sampson, Umuahia
The Abia State government has denied sacking 10,000 of its workers as alleged in some quarters.
This is even as Government said it was not going to celebrate the traditional 100 days in office.
These were disclosed by the Commissioner for Information and Culture, Prince Okey Kanu, well briefing newsmen in Umuahia.
Kanu said the story making the rounds that 10,000 workers were sacked by Governor Alex Otti was fake and unfounded.
He explained that what rather happened was that some ghost workers were removed from the payroll of the State government.
He stated that some of those involved had their appointment letters backdated, was not only surreptitiously done, but a bait with which to pile underserved pressure on the administration of Otti, saying no responsible government will allow such a situation to subsist.
Prince Kanu also informed that there were no waivers applied in those subject employments as well, adding there are officially established processes for employment into the Civil Service in Abia State and maintained that all such processes were not followed with regards to these employments.
Meanwhile, Abia State Government has said the Otti-led administration would not be celebrating the traditional 100 days in office.
Giving reasons for this in an interview with Daily Sun in Umuahia, Kanu said despite the fact the present administration in the state has achieved a lot in the past 100 days it came to power, to deviate from the norm and do things differently, the Otti administration would not celebrate 100 days in office.
He enumerated the projects to include five roads in Aba and one in Ukwa West LGAs and three General Hospitals Government renovated in the three senatorial zones.
“What are we celebrating? When the present administration said it was not going to celebrate 100 days in office, it does not mean it has not achieved much.
“Are we going to start celebrating payment of workers salary which the previous administration failed to pay and we have started paying on the 28 of every month?
“Are we going to celebrate payment of pension to retirees which was not the case before? I assure you by December this year, this administration will liquidate all the arrears owed pensioners and it is by then we will be talking about celebration, but for now, we are preoccupied with the lots of work to be done.”
On the fuel subsidy removal palliative received from the Federal Government, the Information Commisioner said Government would channel the N2b palliative loan on transportation to cushion the effect of the removal of fuel subsidy on the people.
Prince Kanu informed that details of how to deploy the loan would be made available soon, adding that the State Government would roll out its own palliatives after disbursing that of the Federal Government which he said has started.
He stated that the three general hospitals undergoing renovations have been completed and would soon be commissioned while medical Doctors have been posted to Ugwunagbo and Obehie General hospitals.
He added that enumeration of pensioners for their free health insurance scheme was almost completed.
