Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has pledged to pay the full outstanding entitlements of workers dismissed from the state's civil service under previous administrations. He made the commitment on Wednesday during a civic reception organised by Imo State indigenes living in Abia at the Ogbonnaya Onu Polytechnic in Aba.
Otti acknowledged appeals for the reinstatement of workers who lost their jobs between 2011 and 2012. However, he noted that many of these individuals are now too old to return to active employment, he told the gathering.
The governor directed officials to calculate and process payment of all outstanding entitlements after conducting necessary verification. "If you have not received your entitlement, maybe you need to show up for verification and you will be paid," Otti assured the workers.
He thanked the Imo community in Abia for organising the reception, describing it as a show of support for his administration. The gesture, he said, demonstrated confidence in his government's direction.
Otti reaffirmed his administration's commitment to equal opportunity for all residents regardless of origin. Employment into the state's workforce, he stressed, is based solely on merit and competence, not state of origin.
"When we are employing for the healthcare and for teaching and other services, nobody wants to know from where you come from," the governor said. "What we are interested in is your capacity, what you have inside your head."
He emphasised that the relationship between Abia and Imo transcends political boundaries and that residents of Imo extraction enjoy the same rights as Abia indigenes. According to Otti, many families of Imo origin have lived in Abia for multiple generations.
The governor rejected any suggestion that such residents should be treated as outsiders. "There are people whose grandparents lived here.
Their grandparents gave birth to their parents. Their parents gave birth to them.
And you want to explain to me that they are not from Abia; it's a lie," he said.
Otti maintained that the distinction between the two states is inconsequential and that all residents of Abia deserve equal treatment. "So, when you live in Abia, we consider you an Abian and every benefit that is accruable to Abia people is also accruable to you," he noted.
The administration will continue promoting unity and inclusiveness across ethnic divides, he promised. Otti also assured Imo residents in Abia of their continued safety and inclusion in state affairs.
He described the achievements recorded by his government over the past three years as merely laying the foundation for greater accomplishments ahead. The governor expressed confidence that his administration's work will yield even more significant results in the coming years.
