Governor Alex Otti of Abia State, in a surprising turn of events, has issued a public apology for his inability to fulfill his pledge of clearing accumulated pension arrears within the initially stipulated timeframe.
Since his campaign days, Governor Otti had continuously assured the people of Abia State that he would resolve the pension arrears by the close of 2023.
However, during a New Year’s broadcast reported by Premium Times, Otti expressed regret over his failure to honor this commitment.
The governor revealed that the funds allocated for the settlement were insufficient, elaborating that a digital verification process exposed an alarming discrepancy.
“Based on the figures available to us, we had arranged the funds to make good this promise. However, before making the payment, we decided to conduct a digital verification of the pensioners. To our utter shock, we found that there were pensioners who had been owed since,” Otti explained.
Despite this setback, he pledged to fulfill the promise before the first quarter’s conclusion in 2024, even if it necessitated seeking approvals from the Abia House of Assembly.
Governor Otti also hinted at a forthcoming upward salary review for state workers to align with economic realities.
“In the New Year as we had promised, we shall review the salaries of all the employees of the State Government upwards to reflect the economic realities of the time. Work on this is in the final stages,” Otti assured.
Describing 2023 as a pivotal moment in the state’s political history, Otti expressed optimism about consolidating gains in the upcoming year.
He outlined ambitious plans for technological integration across public institutions to enhance service delivery and spearhead economic growth.
Otti further disclosed plans to establish the Abia Global Economic Advisory Board, comprising internationally recognized experts, to position the state as an attractive investment destination on the global stage.
