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From Okey Sampson, Umuahia
Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, has promised to offset the long-standing pension arrears owed pensioners in the state over the years.
Governor Otti who made this known during the November edition of his Monthly Media chat, disclosed that a committee set up with the national body of the Nigerian Union of Pensioners (NUP) has submitted its report on outstanding pensions.
Otti expressed his displeasure that pensions have remained outstanding in the state for many years, adding that the total verified outstanding pensions is in excess of N60b.
He however said despite the huge figure, his administration was committed to finding a way to offset the arrears.
“We have always maintained that the government is a continuum. Whatever you hand over, you deal with it. If it is assets, if it is liability, you pick all of them. We are unafraid to work out a solution,” he stated.
He assured pensioners that the arrears will be paid through gradual process to allow Government run without hitches.
“One thing I would like to assure the pensioners is that their gratuity will be paid gradually. The way my mind is working is that we will have to begin the payment gradually,” the Governor assured.
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He gave his administration thumbs up for being up to date on payment of salaries, hinting on the present Government’s commitment to prioritizing salaries, pensions, and gratuities.
Otti directed that newly recruited teachers in the state should be paid their salaries by the end of the week and assured prospective teachers and medical personnel of his administration’s transparent and merit-based recruitment exercise.
Otti revealed that his government has issued about 30,562 certificates of occupancy in the last two and a half years, which he said was unprecedented.
“Statistics show that there are some States that have not been able to issue that number in 8 years and beyond.”
He disclosed that the whole idea was to unlock the value that has before now been locked by the difficulty in issuing certificates of occupancy which process he said has been automated.
Governor Otti disclosed that before the end of the year, electric buses purchased by his administration which have started arriving in the State will be put on the road and assured it will further crash the cost of transportation in the State.
