Civil Servants at the Government House, Umuahia, on Monday broke into songs of jubilation as they celebrated Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti, for the commencement of payment of their long-outstanding Annual Leave Allowances.
The workers, who expressed appreciation to Governor Otti, described the development as a fulfilment of the Governor’s promise to prioritise workers’ welfare and restore dignity to the Abia State Civil Service.
Receiving the jubilant workers on behalf of the Governor, the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Pastor Caleb Ajagba, thanked them for the voluntary and heartfelt show of gratitude.
Pastor Ajagba noted that the workers’ gesture would further encourage the Governor to deepen his commitment to staff welfare.
“I want to, on behalf of His Excellency, thank each and every one of you this afternoon for finding time to come around to show appreciation to His Excellency.
“I’m not sure that anyone asked you. Nobody forced you. I was informed this morning that the workforce in Government House are here to thank the Governor.
“I want to let you know that what you have done today by showing this level of gratitude without anybody telling you is going to make His Excellency to think of doing more for you”, he said.
The Chief of Staff said that the ongoing transformation across Abia State was in line with Governor Otti’s pre-election promises and stressed that the present administration’s intervention had been deliberate and people-centred.
“What we are seeing today, all over Abia State, is unprecedented. When His Excellency came in 2023, before his election, he told Abians, please weep no more, because help was on the way.
“Today it’s very clear to everyone, even the blind, that help has arrived. And when help comes, you know that help is focused, help is targeted, help never misses the people for whom it is intended”, he stated.
According to him, the Governor began his intervention in the Civil Service by clearing salary and pension arrears, culminating in the payment of leave allowances owed for several years.
He further explained that Governor Otti’s administration had consistently prioritised transparency and regularity in salary payments.
“What His Excellency has come to do is to restore dignity in the workforce, in the civil service. That’s why he started by verifying to know those who are actually supposed to be the civil servants.
“And every 27th of every month, you receive an alert. Since May 2023, he started. The first alert came 27th of June 2023. And that alert has never ceased”, he said.
Pastor Ajagba noted that the Governor had sustained the payment of the 13th-month salary and ensured Abia State was the first to conclude the implementation of the new minimum wage.
“And everything has progressed. Because he (Gov Otti) came to restore joy and dignity of the Abia State workforce”, he stated.
Pastor Ajagba however urged the workers to reciprocate the gesture through dedication, professionalism and increased productivity.
Also speaking, the Commissioner for Labour and Productivity, Mr Kingsley Nwokocha, commended the workers for their appreciation and described Governor Otti as a rare gift to Abia State.
Mr Nwokocha assured the workforce that other outstanding welfare issues were already being addressed.
“For the first time in the history of our state, we have a Governor who is worker-friendly. His Excellency, Dr Alex Otti is worker-friendly.
“You talk about your leave allowance, you talk about your promotion, you talk about your GEN 35, everything is in the pipeline.
“I can assure you that we are dealing with the Labour Union, the Trade Union, everybody that has something to do with Labour and the welfare of workers.
“We are very, very serious in making sure that everything that is due to you, you will receive”, he assured.
Earlier, the Director-in-Charge of Government House, Umuahia, Mrs Onyedikachi Ogwo, said the staff gathered to formally convey their appreciation to the Governor through the Chief of Staff.
She thanked the Governor for various welfare packages and approvals that had made their work easier and assured of the workforce’s continued loyalty and commitment to the Otti administration.
In her remarks, the Chairman of the Staff Welfare Association of Government House, Comrade Oluchi Ubani, said the payment of the Annual Leave Allowance had brought immense relief to workers.
She noted that the allowance had not been paid for many years and appealed to the Governor to also approve the implementation of staff promotions.
The brief ceremony, marked by songs of jubilation, was attended by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Mr Ferdinand Ekeoma; the Special Adviser on Investment Promotion and Public-Private Partnerships, High Chief Green Amakwe; the Senior Special Assistant on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mrs Magdalene Ugoanusi; and the Director-General, Strategic Communications Bureau, Barrister Onyebuchi Ememanka, alongside other senior government officials.
