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Abia State Governor Alex Otti has pledged to prosecute anyone found guilty of mismanaging or embezzling pension funds, vowing that accountability will be enforced without exception.
During the November edition of his monthly media session held at the Government House in Umuahia on Thursday night, Mr. Otti made the remark, underscoring his administration’s stance on transparency.
He noted that recent investigations had exposed the involvement of certain civil servants in fraudulent pension practices. As part of a broader initiative to revamp the civil service, he assured that the government would diligently pursue accountability for all implicated parties.
“I am sure you would have heard some reports about some civil servants who were involved in pension fraud.
“We have zero tolerance for corruption, once we got convincing information we had to arrest the people involved.
“Coincidentally, the opposition went on air to castigate the government.
“Coincidentally, the opposition went on air to castigate the government.
“My question is somebody stole and I arrested him and you went to press to say that I shouldn’t arrest a thief, that means you are a thief yourself.
“I think we have responded to them and we are continuing with their prosecution,” Otti said.
He said that he received a report of the investigation from the security agency handling the matter and authorised that the perpetrators should be arraigned in the next few days.
Read also: Abia State Announces New Minimum Wage Policy
On health, he said that the government would soon commence the rehabilitation of the Primary Healthcare Centers, PHC, in the state to improve access to quality healthcare services.
“I have just signed off the reconstruction of about 200 primary healthcare centers in the three senatorial districts and 17 Local Government Areas.
“If you look around you will see that work would start in the PHCs.
“When we are done with the approved 200, we would move to the next 200, until we have touched every primary healthcare center,” the governor said.
He further said that the government had commenced the rehabilitation of 22 secondary healthcare centers across the state.
