Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, has announced plans by his administration to pay both the December salary and the 13th-Month salary to Workers before December 20, 2024.
Governor Otti made the announcement, Tuesday, during a critical meeting with Leaders of Workers’ Unions in the state, led by the Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Ogbonnaya Okoro.
He said; “I want to make this announcement just like we did last year that this year, we will pay the 13th month salary”.
The Governor assured the Unions that his administration remains committed to the welfare of workers and views them as partners in the State’s development.
He directed a thorough review of the state’s salary structure to address errors identified in the implementation of the new National Minimum Wage adjustments.
Governor Otti acknowledged the concerns raised over discrepancies in the consequential adjustments introduced with the Minimum Wage, which Abia began implementing in October 2024.
“I have instructed my team to revisit the salary structure and address the issues identified. In the coming days, we will engage with the leadership of Organized Labour to finalize necessary adjustments,” Governor Otti stated.
The Governor described as “lack of information”,
the listing of Abia as one of the States yet to commence implementation of the new National Minimum Wage and emphasized that Abia was among the first States to commence the implementation.
Governor Otti expressed disappointment over criticisms from some Pensioners regarding pensions and gratuities, despite his administration’s efforts to address longstanding arrears dating back to 2014.
He noted that the arrears were inherited by his government and highlighted the progress made in clearing the backlog.
Recounting an earlier meeting with the National Union of Pensioners (NUP), the Governor stated, “The leadership made it clear that consistent monthly payments were more important than arrears, but he felt it was unjust not to address the backlog.”
“The first time I met with the NUP leadership, they were clear to me to say that what was important to them was to be able to plan so if the government would be able to commit to paying them 100 percent of their pension from that month, that we should forget about the arrears and I felt it was not fair“, Gov Otti clarified.
The Governor described the State’s Workforce as a critical factor in his electoral victory and thanked them for their continued support and collaboration in his administration’s rebuilding efforts.
He emphasized that the purpose of the meeting was to interact directly with the Workers and express gratitude for their role in transforming the State.
In his remarks, the NLC Chairman Comrade Ogbonnaya Okoro commended Governor Otti for his commitment to the welfare of workers and his swift action to address salary structure concerns.
He assured the Governor of the Unions’ continued support and promised to present other issues for discussion including leave allowances in due course.
The Meeting, which included senior government officials, chairpersons, and secretaries of affiliate unions under the NLC, Trade Union Congress (TUC), and Joint Negotiating Council, also featured interactive sessions where union leaders expressed their views and expectations.
