Governor Alex Otti of Abia State is under fire as health workers in the state have protested the non-payment of their salaries, two years after the state government extended their years of service.
The affected workers, drawn from local government areas, the Hospital Management Board, and the Ministry of Health, stormed the office of the State Accountant-General, Mrs. Njum-Uma Onyemenam, in Umuahia on Tuesday to demand the immediate commencement of their salary payments.
They alleged that despite being recalled to service in 2024 and undergoing reinstatement screenings, they have yet to receive any salaries.
Speaking during the protest, the workers recalled that the Abia State Government had, in 2024, extended their retirement age from 60 to 65 years and years of service from 35 to 40 years.
According to them, the development was in line with a federal government circular aimed at retaining experienced health personnel.
One of the protesters, Mrs. Egendu, lamented that despite complying with all directives, including verification processes, they have not been paid since their reinstatement.
“The Governor, in his fatherly heart, approved the reinstatement of retired health workers in line with the Federal Government circular.
“He added five years to retired health workers. But since 2024 till now, we have not been paid. We have done everything required of us, yet no payment has been made,” she said.
The workers also complained that those willing to proceed with retirement were unable to process their pensions and gratuities due to the situation.
They appealed to the accountant-general to urgently address their concerns.
Meanwhile, the accountant-general’s office has yet to issue an official statement on the matter.
However, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance, Mrs. Obi-Anakwalam Elechi, said the Ministry of Health would provide the necessary verification codes and forward them to the Accountant-General’s office.
Efforts to get the reaction of the Abia State Commissioner for Health, Professor Enoch Ogbonnaya Uche, were unsuccessful as he neither answered calls nor responded to a message sent to him as of the time of filing this report.
