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The Governor of Abia State, Alex Otti has confirmed that his administration is currently looking at the issue of ₦35,000 wage award approved by the Federal Government for workers, with a view to implementing it in the state.
He gave this confirmation when he spoke on Monday while he receiving executive members of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Abia State Council, who were on a working visit.
He said a committee had been set up to that effect and it had submitted its first report.
Dr. Otti, however, said he had directed the committee to deepen its work and report to him, adding that he had instructed the Finance commissioner to look at the discriminatory salary structure for health workers, as it concerned Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHES).
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The governor said his administration would look into salary owed workers in Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and parastatals, including ABSUTH, ASUBEB, ASCETA, Abiapoly, primary school teachers, among others, by the previous administration.
He said a team is working with the Nigerian Union of Pensioners to reach a resolution on how to defray pension arrears of pensioners.
Otti said there are still bad eggs in the system, who engage in padding of salaries and other criminal activities.
He implored NLC to identify such people stealing from the government.
“There are lots of people collecting salaries but are not coming to office.
“My challenge to NLC is to help us. What they (ghost workers) are doing, they are stealing from you. It is very important you take it as responsibility.”
State Chairman of NLC, Ogbonnaya Okoro, appealed to the governor to consider implementing the N35,000 wage bill approved for workers by the Federal Government, address the high-handedness of some government appointees against civil servants, offset salary arrears ranging from three to 30 months owed workers by the previous administration.
