The Abia State Government has announced that unverified civil servants in the state will no longer receive salaries starting from the end of November. The Commissioner for Information and Culture, Prince Okey Kanu, made this disclosure during a briefing on the outcome of the State Executive Council meeting presided over by Governor Alex Otti.
The government emphasized that the verification exercise, which began in July, has been extended by two weeks, and it is expected that all workers in the state should have completed the process by now. Kanu stated that the names of unverified staff have been posted in the Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), and those affected are required to submit their documents to their heads of establishments for verification.
He noted that the decision to remove unverified staff from the payroll is based on the government’s commitment to transparency and accountability. The commissioner mentioned that the government has provided a window of opportunity for the 197 schools recently shut down to meet the required standards and possibly be reopened.
Furthermore, the Abia State Government plans to launch a Whistleblower policy soon, marking a significant milestone in its efforts to implement reforms. Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Special Duties, Dr. Betty Emeka Obasi, urged unverified workers to visit their MDAs with supporting documents, emphasizing that salaries won’t be disbursed to unverified staff from this month onwards.
Additionally, Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Prince Uzor Nwachukwu, announced that the transition committee chairmen/Mayors for Local Government Areas would be sworn in on Thursday, expressing hope for increased grassroots development with their involvement.