By Ugochukwu Alaribe
UMUAHIA—Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has promised to re-engage the sacked non indigene workers, who were disengaged from the state civil service in 2011.
The administration of former Governor, Senator Theodore Orji, had in 2011, disengaged workers who were not indigenes of Abia state from the state civil service.
The workers were mostly from the South East Zone, as 154 of them hail from Anambra state.
Otti, who stated this during a reception in his honour by the Union of Anambra State Associations, Aba Branch, at Leo Okoye’s residence in Aba, promised to consider the request from the union of Anambra people resident in Aba.
He explained that though the incident happened before he became Governor, he would consider their plight to take a fair resolution.
He said; “There were two requests that were made by the President General. A list of 154 people who were disengaged in 2011 has been submitted. I have taken the list and I will ask my people to look at it. I see that the majority of the people were teachers and I don’t know how old they are, but if they are under 65, we will be able to work out an arrangement where we may re-engage them on a contract basis.
“We have a shortage of teachers and because we don’t agree that somebody who lives here is not from here, that action in 2011 was illegal.
“So, I will ask the Head of Service to look at it, those who are of retirement age, we will find a way to compensate them, and those below the retirement age and still willing to work will be re-engaged.
“As I said, this is not limited to Anambra indigenes. I think some people that are from Imo and other States in the South East may have been affected.
“What we are trying to do is to redress the wrong that was done in the past.”
The Governor also promised to revive the Aba Textile Mill and Star Paper Mill to create jobs for the people.
He disclosed that his administration through some partnerships would be engaging and training the young people in various MSMEs with the aim of making Aba, the natural hub for fabric, textiles, and leather products.
“We are negotiating with the people who acquired the Aba Textile Mill. We want to return it to life.
“As a government, we are interfacing with AMCON. We want to acquire the Star Paper Mill and bring it back to life.
“These are industries that were set up by our forefathers. They were visionary. So, if we cannot do better than them, we cannot explain why we are in this world.
“So, it is a challenge. I want the support of everyone, so that we return our State to what it used to be.”
Otti also stated that the Enyimba Hotel and other projects around it would be developed and made functional.
“I am sure that you are aware that very soon, a five Star Hotel called Radisson Blue will be sitting where you have Enyimba Hotel today. It is going to be a very big hotel. The number of rooms would be about 250.
“The idea is that at the back of Enyimba Hotel, there would be an International Convention Centre.
“We have also done an acquisition of more land because we intend to build a leisure and pleasure park along the waterside corridor. So, you have the Enyimba Hotel, Enyimba Convention Centre, and the Enyimba Leisure and Pleasure Park all around here.”
He thanked the Anambra people for the support they have been giving him since 2023 and added that his administration does not know the difference between Anambra and Abia, but regards everyone as the same.
“So, for us, that thing called State of origin, we have already abolished it. I maintain, if you live here and you are a good citizen, you pay your taxes here, you are from here,”
In their separate goodwill messages, the member representing Aba Central State Constituency, Hon. Stephen Ucheonye; the President General, Anambra State Unions Association, Aba Branch, Chief Obiora Nwakpadolo; Ide John Udeagbala and the host, Chief Leo Nnodi Okoye, lauded what they described as Otti’s massive infrastructural development in Aba and other parts of the State, stressing that his style of governance and achievements made so far informed their decision to host him.
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