Governor Alex Otti has directed immediate review of promotions and conversions of Abia civil servants to address the complaints arising thereto.

The governor, who disclosed this during a media parley Friday night in Umuahia, said he had already instructed the Chairman of the State Civil Service Commission and the Head of Service to sit together and work it out.

Otti noted that although the last promotions were conducted in 2021, which he said “presents a huge challenge,” he restated his resolve never to joke with the welfare of workers.

He assured that at the end of the review, workers due for promotion would be promoted, promising to also address the issue of leave allowances.

“Now that we were talking about promotion, conversion, and all that, at the last Exco, I had instructed the Chairman of the Civil Service Commission and the Head of Service to sit down and look at promotions and all that.

“From reports that I got, I think the last time promotions were done was in 2021. It threw up quite some challenges, but at least let’s look at it and see what we can do. We are not ignoring it.”

Otti noted the precarious situation of the state when he took over power and solicited the patience of workers.

“You must also admit that a lot of things went wrong, just like in every other sector.

“We are not retrieving from ground zero, we are actually retrieving from negative, so it becomes a bit more challenging and more difficult, so you have to bear with us,” he pleaded.

Otti said his decision to pay workers on the 28^th of every month was a demonstration of his passion and regard for their welfare.

On leave allowances, he said, “We don’t have any problem paying people who are going on leave. If there are arrears that have not been paid, we can look at them and be sure they are actually arrears.

“Again, I’m just getting to know that. So, we will take it half-line, and then I will find out from the Accountant General and the Head of Service so that it will be one of the things they will be looking at.

“We believe that a labourer is worthy of his wage, and because government is a continuum, we inherit both assets and liabilities. If you are lucky, you have net assets, if you’re unlucky, you have net liabilities, but we will have to deal with it, so I have taken note of that,” Otti assured.

On the issue of minimum wage, Gov. Otti said that he was awaiting the outcome of the tripartite committee and negotiations on the matter, assuring that Abia would not hesitate to comply.

“I have announced earlier, we are waiting for the negotiations that are happening at the centre so that we can do something about the minimum wage, which would affect every other wage.”

He, however, noted that the needs of nonworkers would be taken care of by the government.

Otti, who re-stated his resolve to digitalise the economy of the state, said he would soon announce a Chief Information Officer.

“As we prepare for a digital transformation spearheaded by the introduction of broadband technology, I will soon announce a Chief Information Officer.”

The move, according to him, will ensure data accessibility and availability for all citizens, regardless of location.

“We are preparing our state for the next century with broadband technology. We are already in the final stages of discussion. Wherever you are, you can have access to data.”

The governor, who said he came on board to change the old order and set a new pace for the state, solicited the support and cooperation of all residents for the success of his administration.

He promised to continue to pursue people-centric policies and programmes that would positively affect all residents.

The media parley entitled “The Governor Speaks” is a monthly programme of the Governor. (Saturday Vanguard)

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