Abia State Government has initiated the reaccreditation process for private schools within the state to ensure compliance with operational standards. Commissioner for Information and Culture, Prince Okey Kanu, announced the commencement of this effort, along with the establishment of an enforcement team for order compliance. The Commissioner also discussed ongoing reforms in the education and health sectors, as well as plans for Aba’s rejuvenation and waste management improvements. Additionally, he addressed a court injunction that restricted the Judicial Panel of Inquiry, labeling it as undue interference in the previous administration.”
Tag: Abia State
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Ott Alleges Ikpeazu’s Desperation to Halt Asset Recovery Probe
Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has accused his predecessor, Okezie Ikpeazu, of attempting to evade investigation
An insider familiar with the situation revealed that Ikpeazu first filed Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/907/2023 seeking an ex parte order to restrain the Judicial Panel, but the court insisted on notifying the respondents and, as a result, Ikpeazu withdrew the suit. He then filed another suit, FHC/ABJ/CS/945/2023, with the same intent, but this attempt also failed when the court refused the ex parte application and ordered the claimant to notify the respondents within two days. Once again, Ikpeazu withdrew the suit.Governor Otti believes that these actions indicate Ikpeazu’s desperation and bad faith, suggesting that he is trying to use the court as a shield to protect his administration from potential criminal activities.
Otti has made a commitment to recover every stolen dime from the state, and he has called on those who looted the state treasury to return any government property or funds they possess, as he intends to hold them accountable for their actions.
Despite the setbacks in court, Otti claims that Ikpeazu has not given up on his efforts to avoid the probe and is actively seeking another court that might grant him the order he desires.
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Gov Otti Vows To Start Paying Salaries, Pensions On 28th
The new governor of Abia State, Alex Otti, has promised to commence the payment of May 2023 salaries and pensions to all civil servants and retirees in the state within the next few days.
In his speech after his inauguration on Monday, Otti expressed dissatisfaction with the distinction between the so-called “core” and “non-core” civil servants, adding that from June 2023, all salary and pension obligations of the state would be settled by the 28th of every month.
Otti, who was sworn in at the Umuahia Township Stadium as the fifth democratically elected governor of Abia State, said all civil servants and retirees in the state shall, from this month, earn their legitimate entitlements as and when due.
He also revealed plans by his administration to reform the civil service in the state, saying he will prioritise the workforce for efficiency and professionalism.
According to the newly inaugurated governor, the Abia State Civil Service shall run differently under his administration.
Otti explained that as part of measures to unmask ghost workers in the civil service, the state government will embrace technology.
The move, he stated, is to “determine those who had been genuinely employed and those who are actively stealing from the public treasury.”
He added, “Merit shall take prominence and only those who demonstrate requisite diligence in the discharge of their duties shall remain in the service. Technology will be used to support the Civil Service in the State.
“We propose to use technology to enable all Abia State employees, including myself, to work from anywhere to achieve operational efficiency and enhanced productivity.
“There shall be no room for corrupt practices and the full weight of the law shall be deployed in tackling all cases of indiscipline or any act that brings the service into disrepute.
“We shall be reviewing some of the most recent appointments and promotions made by the previous administration to ensure that persons recruited and promoted have the relevant qualifications and are suitably deployed.”
In their separate remarks, a former Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II; and former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Olumide Akpata, expressed optimism that the governor would perform and hit the ground running.
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Alex Otti Reacts To Nullification Of His Candidature By Court
Abia Governor -elect, Dr , has urged Abians not to panic over his purported sack by a Federal High Court in Kano.
Recall it was reported earlier that Otti’s candidature and other Labour party members in Abia and Kano states were nullified on grounds of not being in compliance with the provisions of the 2022 electoral act. The judge ruled that the failure of the Labour Party to submit its membership register to the INEC within 30 days before their primaries renders the process null and void.
Reacting to the ruling, Otti stated that arrangements for his swearing- in on May 29 is on full gear as planned. He told Vanguard that the antics of the enemies of democracy cannot truncate the will of Abians.
Labour Party Chairman in Abia State, Hon. Ceekay Igara, said the court’s “pronouncement is laughable.” He said the decision of the court would have no significance in the coming inauguration of the Governor-elect.
Igara noted that only the election tribunal is bequeathed the power to sack a democratically elected person. He said;
“That court pronouncement is laughable. Everybody should go about their normal activities. It is only the tribunal that can remove Alex Otti. It is not just a court that will remove someone who was duly elected. Infact I am going to gear up activities for the inauguration”.
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Court Nullifies Candidature Of LP’s Alex Otti, Others in Abia, Kano
A Federal High Court sitting in Kano, presided over by Justice M N Yunusa has nullified the candidature of the Abia State Governor-elect, Dr Alex Otti and all the candidates of the Labour Party in Abia and Kano States.
The court ruled that their emergence was not in compliance with the provisions of the 2022 Electoral Act.
A copy of the judgement delivered by the court was obtained Friday morning by DAILY POST.
The Court in Suit No FHC/KN/CS/107/2023 filed by Mr Ibrahim Haruna Ibrahim against the Labour Party and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, ruled that the failure of the Labour Party to submit its membership register to the INEC within 30 days before their primaries renders the process invalid.
“The party that has not complied with the provisions of the electoral act cannot be said to have a candidate in an election and cannot be declared winner of an election; this being so, the votes credited to the 1st defendant is a wasted vote,” the Judge ruled.
The Labour Party had accused a “breakaway group” of the party led by acting National Chairman Lamidi Apapa of approaching a court in Kano State to seek the nullification of the party’s recent electoral victories.
The LP’s acting National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, who raised the alarm in a statement, said “The Labour Party has been informed of an illegal attempt by a breakaway group in the party led by Lamidi Apapa to misguide a Kano state High court to invalidate all the elections won by the Labour Party in the just concluded general election.”
The party spokesman alleged that “the suspended National Legal Adviser and a key member of the disgraced Apapa group, Samuel Akingbade Oyelekan, on Wednesday while the Presidential Appeal Tribunal was sitting in Abuja with all attentions focused on it, clandestinely sneaked out of Abuja to Kano state where he in collaboration with some members of the other political parties asked the court to invalidate all the elections won by the Labour Party, particularly, the national assembly in the 36 states and FCT on the ground that we didn’t submit register of voters to INEC.”
He added that Akingbade, who presented himself as representing the Labour Party, did not oppose the motion, thus forcing the helpless judge to reserve judgement for Thursday, (yesterday).
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Court vacates order freezing Abia accounts with financial institutions
By Okechukwu Keshi Ukegbu
The Federal Capital Territory High Court has vacated an Exparte order freezing Abia State Government”s accounts with various financial institutions.Justice Bello Kawu, after listening to arguments presented by Abia State Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General, Uche Ihediwa,SAN vacated the order.
Abia State , through its legal team had filed an application application urging the court to vacate the order because it made pursuant to a defective affidavit.
It is noted that such defect affected the entire proceedings.The court also agreed it was in the interest of justice, public order and eace that the order be vacated.
The court theredore vacated the order and adjourned to 28th April, 2023 to hear the arguments of the Attorney General of Abia State on his second application which is challenging the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the matter in the first place.
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It is a lie! I’m not owing civil servant salary – Gov Ikpeazu
The Governor of Abia State, Okezie Ikpeazu, described as a lie, claims that his government is owing several months of salaries to some civil servants in the state.
The Governor-Elect of the state, Alex Otti, had after his election said he contested for the third time because the current government never addressed issues that made him run for the office the first time, including owing workers salaries.
In an interview with Channels TV on Thursday, March 30, Governor Ikpeazu said no “core civil servant” is being owed any salary, adding that those that have issues with salaries are working in parastatals.
“I have 31,000 workers in Abia workforce and 29,000 of them are up to date as we speak in salary payment… Parastatals receive subvention. I don’t pay their salaries because they are revenue-generating agencies of government,” Ikpeazu said.
According to him, the issue of non-payment of pension and salaries has been there long before he assumed office and he has done his best to settle them with the expectation that his successor will continue from where he stopped.
“But I don’t run away from responsibility, the issue of pension has been there perennially since the past 24 years. I did as much as I could, this government since inception passed through two to three recessions. When I came, within three months of my administration, I paid eleven months arrears of salary. Those eleven months were there while I was governor. So, if you take up position as governor you have accepted to take over both liability and asset and I don’t like to complain. I didn’t have to talk about what my predecessors did not do because what gave me my job in the first place was that there were things they didn’t do. So, for somebody to come and make a sweeping statement that no salary is being paid is a lie, I am not owing any core civil servant salary,” he added.
He argued that because the parastatals receive money from the government, they should be able to make money which will enable them pay salaries of staff.
Ikpeazu, whose second term as governor will end in May, lost his bid to represent Abia South in the Senate in the February 25 National Assembly election. His preferred candidate, Okey Ahiwe also lost the governorship election to Labour Party’s Otti.
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Unpaid Salaries: Abia Doctors Embark on Indefinite strike
Doctors in Abia state have embarked on an indefinite strike over salaries they are being owed by the state government.
Both public and private hospitals in the state have reportedly been shut down over 24-month salary arrears owed doctors and other staff of the Abia State Teaching Hospital (ABSUTH); and 13 months owed their counterparts at the Health Management Board, HMB.
This is coming barely a week after the striking doctors barricaded the entrance gate to the Government House Umuahia, demanding immediate payment of the backlog of salary arrears.
Speaking to Vanguard, the State Secretary of the Nigeria Medical Association, Dr Daniel Ekeleme, said that the strike was total and indefinite.
Ekeleme who revealed that they’ve already received 98% compliance at the Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia, as doctors stayed away from duty, vowed that they will sustain the measure until Government did the needful.
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Gov. Ikpeazu Signs Women Inheritance Bill Into Law
The Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, has signed into law the bill that guarantees women’s right to inherit and own property in their father’s family.
The governor in a statement signed by his spokesperson, Onyebuchi Ememanka, on Wednesday, disclosed that the development was in “conformity with international best practice” and also intended to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women” in Abia State.
The law titled, “The Female Persons Right of Inheritance of Property Law 2022,” was sponsored by the Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly, Chinedu Orji and passed by the House on 16th November 2022.
According to the statement, Governor Ikpeazu believed it has become “anachronistic” to continue to treat females as second-class citizens, even in their own families.
While signing the law, Ikpeazu appreciated Abia State Assembly for dredging up enough courage to pass the bill, which he described as historic, positively disruptive and capable of setting society on the path of equal opportunities and sustainable development.
This is coming two months after Rivers State governor Nyesom Wike signed a bill which allows women to inherit family property into law.
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Abia State Poly De-Accreditation Embarrassing, says Ikpeazu
Following that action of the National Board for Technical Education against Abia State Polytechnic Aba, the governor of Abia State, Okezie Ikpeazu, said the action was embarrassing.
He has therefore appealed to the students of Abia Poly and other well-meaning Abians to remain calm, while a taskforce has been set up to resolve the matter.
In a statement by the Secretary to the State Government, Barr Chris Ezem, the state government said it “views the decision of NBTE against the institution as very embarrassing and capable of destabilizing the current peace and harmony existing in the state, as the fate of the students of the institution appears to be jeopardized by the said action.
“It must be placed on record that Academic activities have been ongoing in the institution without interruptions; the teachers and staff of Abiapoly were not on strike and have remained committed to their duties.
“As part of the measure to reposition the institution, Government hereby announces the immediate dissolution and suspension of the council and management of the institution respectively.
“In line with the foregoing, government has approved the constitution of a 6-man taskforce to restore the Accreditation of Abia Poly within 30 days”.
Members of the taskforce, the statement said, includes Prof. Ikechi Mgboji as the Chairman and Mr Stanley Nwankpa, the school Student Union Government President as member, among others.
Rector promises quick resolution
Meanwhile, the institution’s Rector, Prof. Okorie Kalu Osonwa, has assured the students of the government’s commitment to promptly resolve the issues of deaccreditation.
Addressing the students yesterday, Prof. Osonwa informed them that the polytechnic management was in talks with the state government to look for ways to resolve the issue.
He, therefore, urged the students not to be carried away by stories online, assuring that the issue will soon be resolved. He further advised them to continue with their academic activities.
It would be recalled that the NTBE revoked the accreditation of the institution over the Institution’s failure to pay staff salaries and allowances for over 30 months.
In that statement issued on Tuesday, a spokesperson for NBTE, Fatima Abubakar, said the accreditation was withdrawn because the polytechnic had not shown any commitment to offset the arrears and ensure regular payment of salaries.
“It is, therefore, with utmost sense of responsibility that the board has decided to withdraw the accreditation status of the polytechnic to safeguard the quality assurance mechanism of the board,” Ms. Abubakar said, adding that the Governing Council and management of the polytechnic made several failed promises to settle the backlog of salary arrears.
She explained that regular salary payment was a key component of the board’s normative instruments for quality assurance in the polytechnics, technical, vocational education and training, TVET institutions.
Ms. Abubakar also mentioned that the board had ewarlier drawn the attention of the polytechnic’s management to the consequences of failing to pay salaries, including the suspension of quality assurance visits, informing “The board went the extra mile of writing to Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia state, informing him of the dire situation of the polytechnic, but all to no avail,” she added.
The Board similarly warned the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC that “no product of the Abia State Polytechnic should be mobilized for national service until the management of the polytechnic resolves the issue of nonpayment of salary to its staffers, while the Board promised to notify the NYSC once the accreditation status of the polytechnic is restored.”
The NBTE official said the board has also sent a similar notice of the withdrawal of the accreditation to the Tertiary Education Trust Fund and Industrial Training Fund to stop any official transaction with the polytechnic.