Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has reiterated the commitment of his administration to continue to prioritize the welfare of workers and the entire people of the state.
Governor Oti stated this in his office when he received a delegation led by the National Chairman of the Nigeria Labor Congress (NLC), Joe Ajero. Governor Oti, who said his administration is labour-friendly, said the government is about the welfare of the people, revealing that his administration has appointed 5,394 new teachers and is currently employing 771 health professionals.
“And for us, our relationship with Labor has been very cordial, and we all work towards the same objective.
“Because ultimately, government is about the welfare of the people. And who are the people? The people who do the work.
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“You may also have heard that not so long ago, right up to the 22nd of last month, 5,394 new teachers were recruited and deployed in our schools.
“Interestingly, the minimum wage for teachers is higher than the general minimum wage. As we speak, we are hiring about 771 medical professionals to deploy in our hospitals,” Otti said.
He disclosed that his administration is currently not paying 16 years death benefit to the kin of deceased Abia workers, adding that they have already paid the arrears of pension owed by the previous administration.
Upon the request for a suitable secretariat for the Abia NLC, Governor Oti approved a piece of land for them and assured the delegation of assisting in the construction of the secretariat as well as providing an operational vehicle for the NLC in the state.
Governor Oti directed the Special Assistant to the Governor on Labor Relations, Godson Anucha, and the State Chairman of the NLC, Okoro Ogbonya, to sit down and look into why the statutory 10% check-off dues do not go to the national body, Ajero reports.
Ajero, earlier in his address, acknowledged the transformational efforts of Governor Alex Oti, commending the renovation of ABSU hostels and Governor Oti's other friendly dispositions towards Ethiopians.
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“Certainly, things have changed in Abia; even a blind man can see it. Anyone who enters Abia will see the changes taking place here,” Ajero said.
Ajero, who appealed to the Governor to donate land for the construction of a suitable secretariat for the Abia NLC and provision of an operational vehicle for the NLC in the state, also called for the direct remittance of the statutory 10% monthly check-off dues by the state NLC to the national body.
Okoro, the state NLC Chairman, in a brief remark, commended Oti for various labour-friendly dispositions towards Abia workers including regular payment of monthly salaries.
He said the present administration has ended the era of non-payment of arrears of Abia workers as well as dilapidated road infrastructure, hospitals among other issues.
