Abia begins payment of N61.8bn gratuity arrears, targets 2031 for full clearance
…resolves ABSU-ASUU strike, denies involvement in lecturer’s suspension
By Steve Oko
UMUAHIA — The Abia State Government has commenced payment of outstanding gratuities to verified state and local government retirees, with the total liability put at N61.8 billion.
Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, disclosed this on Monday while briefing journalists after the State Executive Council meeting presided over by Governor Alex Otti.
Kanu, who was flanked by the Commissioner for Finance, Mr Uwoma Ukandu; Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Mr Ferdinand Nkoma; and Accountant-General of the State, Mrs Njum Onyemena, said the payment followed the report of a committee constituted to validate outstanding gratuity liabilities and develop a sustainable payment plan.
According to him, the committee reviewed records from the State and Local Government Pension Boards and established outstanding gratuity liabilities of N61.8 billion, covering retirees from 2001 to 2025.
He said the review showed that successive administrations had made limited payments towards the arrears, particularly those owed to retirees who left the service between 2011 and May 2023.
Kanu said the arrears included N7.2 billion owed for the 2001–2010 period, while liabilities accumulated between 2011 and May 2023 stood at N3.6 billion.
He added that gratuity obligations accumulated from May 30, 2023, to date amounted to N10.9 billion, while the broader reconciliation exercise established the total liability at N61.8 billion.
Payment plan to run through 2031
The commissioner said, given the size of the liability, the government had adopted a phased payment arrangement designed to ensure sustained settlement without undermining other government obligations.
He said the committee recommended that provisions for gratuity payments from 2026 to 2031 be incorporated into the state’s Medium-Term Expenditure Framework and annual budgets.
The arrangement, he explained, would prevent further accumulation of arrears while enabling the government to meet its other financial obligations.
Oldest retirees to receive priority
Kanu said the payment strategy would prioritise the oldest arrears and beneficiaries with the greatest social needs.
He added that the government was putting measures in place to ensure that payments went directly to verified beneficiaries through a dedicated gratuity payment platform linked to the Treasury Single Account.
The platform, he said, would incorporate biometric validation to prevent duplication, fraud and wrongful payments.
He noted that the exercise would also involve cleaning the retirees’ database, particularly as many of the inherited records were poorly maintained and largely in analogue form.
24-year backlog cannot be cleared overnight
Kanu acknowledged that the administration could not realistically eliminate 24 years of accumulated liabilities within three years.
He, however, said the Otti administration remained committed to protecting the interests of retirees and serving workers.
According to him, the government’s approach was to progressively address inherited liabilities while sustaining its wider development agenda.
Helpline opened for retirees
The government has also established a dedicated contact centre to address complaints arising from the gratuity payments.
Kanu gave the helpline as 0800 000 0232, available from 8am to 4pm on working days, while enquiries could also be sent through contactcenter@abiastate.gov.ng, which he said would operate round the clock.
ABSU-ASUU strike resolved
The commissioner also announced the resolution of issues that triggered the recent industrial action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Abia State University chapter.
He explained that Governor Otti had approved the union’s demands as far back as April 2026, stressing that the subsequent delay was caused by administrative and implementation processes rather than unwillingness by the government.
Kanu said the governor subsequently directed the Secretary to the State Government-led committee to resolve the outstanding issues within 48 hours.
He disclosed that outstanding check-off dues had been paid, while the new salary scale, Consolidated Academic Teaching Allowance (ASCTA) and other related payments had been processed for payment with the August 2026 salary.
The new salary scale for other categories of staff of Abia State University, he added, had also been processed for payment this month.
Obinwa General Hospital opens Tuesday
Kanu announced that Governor Otti would on Tuesday commission the newly completed Obinwa General Hospital at Mgboko, describing it as a modern health facility equipped with digital health technology.
He said the facility would expand access to healthcare services in the state.
Health insurance enrolment hits 269,900
The commissioner disclosed that the state’s health insurance coverage had risen to 269,900 beneficiaries, describing the growth as an indication of increasing public confidence in the scheme.
He also announced the inauguration of the Abia State Diaspora Healthcare Government Fund, designed to support health insurance enrolment for indigent citizens and vulnerable people in the informal sector.
He said strategic healthcare oversight teams had also been inaugurated in four local government areas during the past week.
Kanu said recruitment of additional health personnel was continuing, with the portal still open for medical officers, dental officers and consultants.
He added that no outbreak of diseases of public health importance, including Ebola, COVID-19, diphtheria and cholera, had been reported in the state during the period under review.
Abia recruits 4,074 teachers
The government also announced the conclusion of the recruitment of another batch of teachers into the state public school system.
Kanu said 4,074 successful candidates were receiving notifications of their appointments.
He said the recruitment was conducted on the basis of merit and transparency.
The new teachers are expected to begin onboarding and orientation next week.
According to him, the recruitment would strengthen the state’s teaching workforce and address shortages in specific subject areas.
FG studies Abia Smart School model
Kanu disclosed that a Federal Government ministerial committee had visited Abia to study the state’s Smart School project.
He described the visit as recognition of the programme’s progress and an indication that the state’s education innovation was attracting wider interest.
Abia plans power plant for Aba ring-fenced area
The government also disclosed plans to improve electricity supply to the Aba ring-fenced area through the licensing of a generation plant within the area.
According to Kanu, the plan involves evacuating power from the generation plant to serve the ring-fenced area covering eight local government areas in Abia Central and Abia North.
The state is also considering the deployment of interconnected mini-grids in underserved areas and communities where vandalism of electricity infrastructure has disrupted supply.
EEDC takeover process ongoing
Responding to questions on the state’s proposed takeover of electricity distribution operations, Ekeoma clarified that the process had not been completed.
He explained that the existing electricity distribution company remained in charge until the transaction was fully concluded.
Ekeoma, however, said the government had continued to intervene in the power sector by supporting the repair and rehabilitation of substations, transformers and other infrastructure to reduce the hardship caused by poor electricity supply.
He said the state’s ultimate objective was to gain greater control over power distribution and develop alternative generation and distribution arrangements that would provide more reliable electricity for residents and businesses.
He acknowledged that the power challenge was not peculiar to Abia but a national problem, while insisting that the state was among those making efforts to address it.
Ekeoma expressed concern over high electricity charges, particularly for consumers under the estimated billing system, but said the issue would be addressed when the government fully assumes control of power distribution in the state.
Government distances self from lecturer’s suspension
On the ABSU-ASUU strike, Ekeoma distanced the government from the suspension of a lecturer who took to social media over the matter.
He said the suspension was an internal university matter, stressing that the institution was autonomous and had established mechanisms for investigation and discipline in line with its procedures.
He urged the public to avoid politicising the issue and allow the university’s processes to run their course.
Similarly, the Commissioner for Finance, while responding to questions on the ongoing gratuity payments, reiterated that beneficiaries whose claims had been verified were being paid in full.
He said the exercise was part of a deliberate effort to clean up inherited liabilities and restore confidence among retirees and workers in the state’s public service.
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