By Suleiman Anyalewechi
The Abia state Government has said it will begin the payment of the several months of inherited salaries of the State workforce from July 2024.
This is just as it revealed that the salary arrears will cost the Governor Alex Otti- led administration a whopping sum of N16.5 billion.
However, the payments will be carried out in tranches, to void impacting negatively on other essential sectors of the State’s economic life.
The State Government’s move is coming on the heels of disquiet and agitations among the affected categories of workers over the delay in the payment of the salary arrears, which was one of the key campaign issues of the Otti Government in the countdown to the 2023 Governorship elections.
Although the staffers of Abia State University Teaching Hospital, ABSUTH Aba, had on Tuesday, June 25, protested against the delay in the payments of their April and May salaries, insider sources have revealed that their outstanding 22 months arrears is the major problem
John Akpara, the State Commissioner for Finance at a briefing late Tuesday evening in Umuahia ,said Governor Otti, has made all necessary arrangements for the backlog of salaries to be paid.
Most of the salary arrears are owed to Tertiary Institutions and some Extra Ministerial Departments .According to Akpara, the Abia State University, Uturu is being owed 11 months, while Abia State Polytechnic, Aba, is being owed 33 month’s backlog.
The State Government inherited 22 months salary arrears at the College of Education Technical Arochukwu, and several months at Hospital Management Board ,and Abia State Secondary Education Management Board.
The arrears at ASUBEB, HMB and SEMB, the Commissioner noted, will cost the State over N4 billion to clear.
Other tertiary institutions being owed are: College of Health Sciences and Management Aba and Abia State University Teaching Hospital Aba .
The Commissioner who addressed the press in company with his information counterpart Prince Okey Kalu, insisted that it has always been the intention of the Government to accord priority to workers welfare since mounting the saddle a year ago.
He, however, expressed regret that some people have refused to appreciate Government’s open mindedness in that direction.
He informed that workers at the state owned tertiary institutions will begin to get their arrears from July/August this year .
Government’s intention he said is to complete the payments on or before the end of 2024 .
” As a matter of fact ,the past administration owed Abia state Polytechnic 33 months, ,College of Education Arochukwu ,22 months Abia state University 11 months .
Hospital Management Board is owed for several months ,Theirs is humongous.We also have ASUBEB and SEMB with the total amount being owed them over N4 billion.
The total of salaries being owed to all these institutions as we speak is N16.5 billion and the Government is expected to pay the arrears.
” But one thing I will promise is that it would be paid .However, it is not going to be in one sweep .We will do it in instalments ,so that it does not hamper the progress of other sectors of the economy” Akpara noted.
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