Otti Assures Disengaged Abia Workers Of Benefits

Gov. Alex Otti of Abia has assured workers disengaged between 2011 and 2012 that they would receive their full entitlements after verification, acknowledging many are now beyond working age.

Otti gave the assurance on Wednesday while responding to an appeal during a grand civic reception organised in his honour by Ndi Imo in Abia, a sociocultural organisation, in Aba.

The governor said his earlier directive was not targeted at any ethnic group but applied equally to every disengaged worker affected by the exercise.

He explained that many of those disengaged had since advanced in age, making their reabsorption into the civil service no longer practical.

“We will calculate their entire entitlements and pay them. If you have not received your entitlement, present yourself for verification and you will be paid,” Otti said.

Otti reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to inclusiveness, stressing that appointments and employment were based strictly on competence rather than state of origin.

He said all law-abiding residents, regardless of ancestry, deserved equal opportunities, benefits and protection under his administration without discrimination.

The governor described Abia and Imo people as one family with shared historical and cultural ties, promising to strengthen unity instead of encouraging division.

He also assured Imo indigenes residing in Abia of their safety and welfare, pledging that his administration would continue protecting their interests.

Imo Governor, Hope Uzodinma, commended Otti’s performance, urging him to sustain good governance and continue promoting peaceful coexistence among Abia residents.

Uzodinma, represented by his Special Adviser on Political Matters, Chief Perry Opara, said Abia and Imo had strengthened longstanding commercial, cultural and family relationships.

He urged Ndi Imo in Abia to remain law-abiding, support Otti’s programmes and continue living peacefully with their host communities.

Earlier, Ndi Imo in Abia appealed to Otti to consider reinstating Imo indigenes disengaged from the Abia Civil Service by the previous administration.

Board of Trustees Chairman, Chief Boniface Mbachu, represented by Secretary Chief James Odocha, said many affected workers devoted their most productive years to state service.

Mbachu expressed confidence that Otti’s compassionate and non-discriminatory leadership would provide lasting relief to the affected former civil servants.

Chairman of the occasion, Chief Chibuike Achigbu, praised Otti’s leadership, saying improved infrastructure, environmental sanitation and flood control had transformed Abia.

Achigbu said the reception was organised to appreciate Otti’s commitment to good governance and encouraged him to remain focused on delivering greater democratic dividends.

The steering committee chairman commended the support of the governor’s wife, Mrs Priscilla Otti, describing her as a worthy daughter of Imo.

He said her humility and encouragement had contributed significantly to the success of the Otti administration.

He reaffirmed the support of Imo people living in Abia for Otti and appealed for greater inclusion of qualified Imo indigenes in government.

Speaking with journalists, the Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers in Abia, Mr Chukwuma Azodo, described Abia and Imo as sister states united by history.

Azodo, founder of the Local Boys Movement in Abia, described Otti’s leadership as the best the state had witnessed in recent years.

He said the civic reception reflected the appreciation of Imo residents in Abia for the governor’s achievements and people-centred governance.

Azodo said the Local Boys Movement was mobilising youths ahead of the 2027 General Elections through voter education, Permanent Voter Card registration and Labour Party membership registration.

He urged residents to support initiatives that would secure a better future for coming generations and strengthen democratic participation across the state.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)