Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has announced that he has no intention of laying off any state employees.
Otti made this declaration during a media chat on Friday in Umuahia.
He emphasized his administration’s dedication to improving the state civil service to achieve optimal performance and productivity.
He also highlighted that the timely payment of salaries has already led to increased efficiency.
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The governor said, “I don’t know where that is coming from. There is nothing like mass retrenchment. We have not even thought about it. There’s nothing in the pipeline.
“Like I said, we don’t have any such plans. We will continue to ensure that our civil service is enhanced and productivity goes up, particularly now that before the end of every month they (civil servants) get paid, so there is no excuse for truancy anymore.”
He attributed the anxiety about potential layoffs among workers to their own guilt over poor work habits.
Otti, therefore, warned civil servants who are used to absenteeism that such behavior will no longer be tolerated under his administration.
He added, “People who were used to not going to work, we told them to know that our administration does not tolerate truancy and so if they are afraid, maybe, they are guilty. There’s no mass retrenchment in the pipeline.”
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In addressing the matter of workers who were previously disengaged from the state civil service due to non-indigeneship under previous administrations, Governor Otti expressed satisfaction with the re-engagement of several affected individuals.
He further noted that his administration is actively reviewing the cases of the remaining disengaged workers with the intention of reintegrating them into the state workforce.
The governor reaffirmed his commitment to a non-discriminatory government, emphasizing that all individuals who contribute to the state, regardless of their place of origin, will be treated equitably.
He added, “As a person, I believe that people should not be judged or should not be treated fairly or unfairly based on where they come from. That is why in our administration, there are people who do not come from this state that have been given appointments.
“The reason is simple; once you live in Abia, you are from Abia, that is our own principle. You live here, you pay your tax here, you are involved in everything that we are doing, then we must treat you as part of us. This is a government that does not discriminate.
“As a policy, I treat people equally, even if you’re from the North and you live here. It is on that basis that I say anybody who was disengaged because of where they come from, we are looking at their cases.
“As we speak, we are looking at those few cases, they‘re not much. There is not much we can do about those who are not here with us (deceased) but those with us, we will look at their cases positively.”
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