Governor Otti: Employment Not a Priority in Abia State

Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has stated that employing new personnel into the state's civil service is not a priority for his administration at the moment. He made this known during a monthly interactive session with the media in Umuahia.

The governor emphasized that the government's focus is on addressing existing issues within the civil service before considering new employment. He noted that there is currently an employment embargo in place, which he intends to uphold.

Otti expressed concern over the high number of civil servants in the state, especially considering the significant monthly wage bill of about four billion naira for both the local government and the state. He highlighted the need to improve and enhance the pay for existing civil servants, acknowledging that some employees may not be performing optimally.

He explained, "It may not be a priority at this time to open up the doors to bring in new people, except if we have a way of exiting a few people. But you know with the civil service rules, it is not going to be very easy to exit people."

Governor Otti reassured that the government is focused on training and developing the current workforce to enhance their skills and performance. He mentioned the establishment of the Civil Service Commission, the appointment of a new Head of Service, and new Permanent Secretaries as part of efforts to improve the efficiency of the civil service.