By CHARLES IWUOHA

The Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to Governor Alex Otti of Abia State, Mr Ferdinand Ekeoma, has dismissed report credited to a former local government boss, Promise Uzoma Okoro, that workers’ April salary arrears left by former governor Okezie Ikpeazu’s regime would not be paid.

Dismissing the report, Ekeoma explained that the present administration in the state is strategizing towards clearing accumulated salary arrears owed to state workforce by the immediate past government in the state.

Ekeoma, who spoke to newsmen on Wednesday in Umuahia, the state capital, expressed dismay at the outburst by Okoro, describing it as fake and mischievous.

His words: “The said Mr Okoro could not state where and when the governor made the statement.

“He probably anchored his assumption on the plans of the governor to pay May salary first, which of course is his immediate priority before tackling the humongous accumulated salary arrears left behind, which include the April salary Okoro mentioned.

“The governor understands the place and importance of payment of salary as an enabler of economic growth and development, and is therefore marshalling out the right strategy geared towards clearing the Abia salary mess.”

Ekeoma added that it has become curious that Okoro, who had earlier claimed that the past government was not owing April salary, is now talking about non-payment of same salary arrears.

He urged the public to discountenance and ignore the half-baked statements posted by the author, and see the online report as one of those fabrications aimed at drawing social media attention.