By Suleiman Anyalewechi
Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti, has assured of the readiness of his administration to revisit the issue of sacked non-indigenous civil servants in the State.
He also expressed his unwavering determination to nurse back to life some old Industrial and business outfits in the commercial nerve centre of Abia State, with a view to creating more job opportunities for the people.
The Source reports that the Abia State Government under former Governor Theodore Orji, between 2010 and 2011, disengaged not a few Imo Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and other civil servants in Abia State, citing lean resources and need for restructuring as major reasons.
Unfortunately, however, many of the sacked non-indigenous workers were relieved of their appointments at the twilight of their careers thus forstalling the possibility of retirements with benefits and pensions.
Instructively too, many were being owed several months of salary arrears as at the time of their disengagement.
Several efforts to have the immediate ,past administration of Dr Okezie Ikpeazu reconsider the sad fate and plight of the sacked non-indigenes were not only rebuffed, but escalated.
Between 2019 ,and 2021, many non-indigenes, alongside Abians were massively sacked at the State’s Polytechnic in Aba, parastatals and other MDAs in a move that was widely perceived as politically motivated.
Sadly too, all the victims left with salary arrears ranging between 16 and 23 months ,which have not been paid till date.
At a reception held in his honour by the Union of Anambra State Association, Aba Branch, on Saturday, April 5, 2025 ,Governor Otti noted that even though the development happened long before he came on board, he will nevertheless take a second look to explore the possibilities of a fair resolution.
“The President General just made two requests- the first one is a piece of land to build a community project. Let us know where you want the land and you will get.
“The Second one is the issue of sacked non-indigenes in 2011. A list of 154 people who were disengaged in 2011 has been submitted.
“I have taken the list ,and I will ask my people to look at it . I see that majority of the people were teachers, and I don’t know how old they are now.
“But if they are under 65 ,we will be able to work out an arrangement where we may re-engage them on contract basis.
“We have a shortage of teachers ,and because we don’t agree that somebody who lives here is not from here, that action in 2011 was illegal ” Governor Otti stated .
He informed that he will direct the State’s Head of Service, himself a non-indigene, from Edo state, to look into the case of the disengaged non-indigenes with a view to finding a way of either compensating them or re-absorbing them .
“As I noticed, this issue is not limited to Anambra indigenes. People from Imo and other South East States may have been affected .What we are trying to do is to redress the wrong of the past”. the Governor noted .
To further create jobs ,rather than sacking people ,Governor Otti, said his administration is currently interfacing with the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria, AMCON, on the possibilities of acquiring and resuscitating the moribund Aba Textile Mills and Star Paper Mills ,and other rested large scale industrial outfits in Aba.
“We are negotiating with the people that acquired the Aba Textile Mill .We want to return it to life .
“As a Government ,we are interfacing with AMCON.We want to acquire the Star Paper Mill ,and bring it back on stream.
“These industries were set up by our forebears. They were visionary. So, if we cannot do better than them, we cannot explain why we are in this world.
So ,it is a challenge. I want the support of everyone so that we return our State to what it used to be” the Governor emphasized .
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