…. Plans to increase workers salary
From Okey Sampson, Umuahia
Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti has said he inherited uncompleted Government House from the administration of Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu.
This is even as the Governor had said his government inherited uncompleted Government House from the past administration on the state.
In a chat with newsmen in Umuahia, Otti explained he was not living in the Government House because his predecessor commissioned an uncompleted building while the old Government House was left in a dilapidated nature.
“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 (Ikpeazu) waited until the twilight of his administration. The upper floors was not touched in fact, 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”
Speaking about the old Government House, Otti said, “Now, I came back here and also found out that the Governor’s lodge and Governor’s office were also in dilapidated state. I made an attempt, I sent some government engineers, valuers and they came with an estimated bill for the office alone, over N550m. I looked at it and said, if I have N550m, I will deploy it to other sectors, I took decision to operate from my house while I take the renovations one by one as the State finances would carry.”
says he is engaging with stakeholders to improve on the minimum wage of the State workers to align with the present economic realities.
Meanwhile, has disclosed of his administration’s plan to increase the minimum wage of workers in the state.
He said the reason for adjusting the pay of the workers was because of the presenteconomic realities of the nation.
“We do understand that things are a bit more difficult for the people. We are engaging with stakeholders to see how we can improve on the pay of civil servants in line with the present economic realities.
He announced that the recently retired Permanent Secretaries and Directors would receive arrears of salaries and gratuities due to them, as well as defray pension arrears as earlier promised.
On the issue of alleged spending of over N900m on food and welfare by his government in the 3rd quarter of this year, Governor Otti described the allegations as unfounded and a hatched man’s job of individuals who were intimidated by the numerous reforms ongoing in various sectors of the State economy,