Abia Pensioners to be Paid Every 28th, Govt Settles Arrears of over N9bn 

The Abia State Government has announced the disbursement of over N9 billion to pensioners in the state. Mike Akpara, the Commissioner for Finance, revealed this milestone during a briefing at the Government House Umuahia. He emphasised the state government’s commitment to fiscal prudence and highlighted that the funds were disbursed without resorting to borrowing.

Addressing concerns arising from the pension payment process, Okey Kanu, the Commissioner for Information and Culture, unveiled the establishment of a dedicated “Help Desk” at the Ministry of Finance. This initiative aims to rectify any omissions or discrepancies encountered during the recent payment of pension arrears.

“Arising from some issues associated with the payment of arrears of pensions in the state, the Ministry of Finance has set up a Help Desk that will address the issues arising from the cases of those whose names were skipped. The whole idea is to ensure that the whole process is smooth. Following the recent pension payment to our pensioners, His Excellency, Dr. Alex Otti, OFR has ordered that the pensioners be paid on the 28th of every month, just like the civil servants in the state,” he said.

Furthermore, Kanu disclosed that the state government plans to introduce a Contributory Pension Scheme for active civil servants. In addition to pension disbursements, the government approved the reconstruction of the 3.5-kilometer Osisioma-Ekeakpara road in Osisioma LGA.

This recent development fulfils Governor Otti’s promise, earlier in October 2023, to settle all outstanding pension arrears upon completing the pensioners’ verification exercise.

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