(DDM) – The Abia State Government has paid 340 former staff of Ogbonnaya Onu Polytechnic, Aba, who were disengaged between 2018 and 2021.
Governor Alex Otti announced the payment while briefing journalists at Government House, Umuahia.
DDM gathered that the Governor explained that out of 461 sacked workers, 340 had received their entitlements, while the balance would be settled after a verification process.
He said the state would not only pay but also review the circumstances of their dismissal.
According to him, anyone unfairly removed from service would be reinstated to ensure justice is served.
The Governor’s statement comes after years of protests and petitions by affected workers, who accused past administrations of victimization and negligence.
Many of the disengaged staff had spent years without salaries, pensions, or benefits, forcing some into hardship and ill-health.
Otti assured that his government would not abandon them and pledged to treat workers fairly, regardless of political affiliations.
He further commended the management of Ogbonnaya Onu Polytechnic for attracting a N2 billion intervention fund from Tertiary Education Trust Fund, TETFund.
According to him, such funding would help reposition the institution and improve the learning environment for students.
On the $125 million Islamic Development Bank loan recently approved for Abia State, Otti dismissed fears of debt traps.
He explained that the only challenge that might arise would be foreign exchange instability, but maintained that the loan was a low-risk facility.
The Governor insisted that the facility would be managed responsibly and transparently to support development projects.
Otti also revealed that his administration had spent about N14.43 billion on retrofitting 61 public schools as of June 2025.
He dismissed allegations by an APC group claiming that N54 billion budgeted for schools had been squandered.
According to him, the opposition was spreading propaganda to discredit his administration’s achievements in education.
He emphasized that the projects were visible across the state and could be verified by residents and the media.
In the health sector, the Governor directed the Commissioner for Health, Professor Enoch Uche, to commence the construction of an isolation and treatment centre.
The facility will be located at the Abia State Specialist Hospital, Amachara, as part of plans to strengthen public healthcare.
Otti said his government was determined to deliver projects that would directly impact citizens instead of indulging in wasteful spending.
He added that Abia had chosen a new path of transparency, accountability, and people-centered leadership.
The Governor maintained that the era of abandoned projects and fake promises in Abia was over.
