Abia State Government Announces Salary Cut-off for Unverified Civil Servants by November's End

In a press briefing on Monday, Prince Okey Kanu, the Commissioner of Information and Culture in Abia State, announced that all unverified civil servants in the state will cease to receive salaries by the end of November. This decision was made following the extension of the verification process, which commenced in July.

Kanu explained that the verification process, originally slated to conclude earlier, was extended by two weeks. He expressed confidence that all state employees have now been validated. The commissioner noted that names of unverified staff had been posted in various ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs), and those affected were expected to submit their documents to their respective heads of establishments for further verification.

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"We expect that everybody that is a staff in the State ought to have been verified. We have a good number of people that haven’t done that," Kanu stated, emphasizing the importance of completing the verification process.

In addition to addressing the payroll issues, Kanu revealed that 197 schools recently shut down by the State Government due to substandard curriculum, quality of teachers, and environmental concerns have been given an opportunity to comply with set guidelines for possible reopening.

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The commissioner highlighted the government's commitment to education reforms, setting standards for schools to meet. He mentioned that those schools in the private sector demonstrating a commitment to change and meeting the government's standards would be allowed to resume operations.

Furthermore, Kanu announced the upcoming launch of a Whistle Blower policy by the Abia State Government, marking a significant milestone in the government's efforts to enhance transparency and accountability.

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Dr. Betty Emeka Obasi, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Special Duties, added that unverified workers must go to their MDAs with supporting documents. She emphasized that as of this month, unverified staff would not receive salaries, but the government has decided to allow corrections until the end of the year.

The removal of unverified staff from the payroll was described as a compassionate decision by the Governor Alex Otti-led administration, preventing affected staff from facing criminal charges for receiving salaries without proper acknowledgment.

Additionally, it was announced that the Local Government Area (LGA) transition committee chairmen/mayors would be sworn in later in the week, with hopes that their presence would stimulate development at the grassroots level through the efficient use of funds allocated to the Local Councils.