In line with the promise of the Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, Friday started to defray arrears of salaries owed workers of institutions in the state by previous administrations.

An official source close to the state Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, said such institutions include Abia State University Uturu, Abia State Polytechnic, Aba, Abia State College of Education, Technical Arochukwu, Abia State Teaching Hospital, Aba and Health Management Board, Umuahia.

Others listed include the state-owned institutions of higher learning, including the College of Health Sciences, Aba, Abia State Universal Basic Education Board, and the Secondary Education Management Board, among others.

Kanu in a statement, he issued, said, “The office of the Accountant General has commenced the payment of the arrears to all verified workers amounting to N17, 629,767,342,09 (Seventeen billion, six hundred and twenty-nine million, seven hundred and sixty-seven thousand, three hundred and forty-two, nine Kobo only).

“The Abia State Government wishes to state that the payment will follow a 12-month amortization plan with the first batch already disbursed to the affected institutions. This structured payment is meant to ensure that other areas of governance do not suffer from a lack of attention due to limited financial resources.

“By this development, the Dr Alex Otti-led administration has once more demonstrated its commitment to the promotion and sustenance of the welfare of Abia State civil servants at all times.”

Affirming the information through a separate statement he also issued on the matter, the Chief Press Secretary, CPS to the state governor, Ukoha Njoku Ukoha, noted “Governor Alex Otti has paid the first tranche of the arrears of workers’ salaries owed by the immediate past administration.

“The governor earmarked N1.5 billion monthly to instalmentally offset the N18 Billion arrears of salaries within 12 Months. Governor Otti feels fulfilled with the thunderous jubilation and excitement of Abia workers than the bitterness of those denied access to Statutory workers and retirees entitlements”.

Recall that a few weeks before he was changed, the immediate – -past Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Mike Akpara had in a press conference stated the Abia State Government plans to offset in tranches, the salary arrears owed staff of the state-owned institutions of higher learning by the immediate past administration, assuring also that the state government would equally pay off the arrears of salary owed some workers in the state civil service, in batches.

Mr Akpara had explained that the present administration inherited a debt of billions of naira arrears owed workers in state-owned institutions of learning adding that the government has resolved to clear the debts while ensuring that progress in other sectors of the economy is not hindered.

“For salary arrears, the Governor has set up machinery in motion to ensure that salary arrears would become a thing of the past. One thing I will promise is that it would be paid but it is not going to be in one sweep. We will do it in instalments so that it does not hamper the progress of other sectors of the economy.

“The past government owed Abia State Polytechnic -v33 months, College of Education Arochukwu – 22 months, Abia State University – 11 months. The Hospital Management Board was owed for several months. Theirs was humongous. We also have ASUBEB and SEMB the total amounts being owed to them is over a N4billion”, Akpara explained.

The Finance Commissioner had announced that payments to workers in state-owned institutions of learning would begin in July or August, to complete the payments by the end of the year and added that the State Government had already paid the salary arrears for April and May owed workers in ABSU and emphasised the present administration’s commitment to completely change the narrative of owing workers salaries and addressing the long-standing issue of unpaid wages.