Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has stated that employing new people into the state’s civil service is not a priority for his administration at this time. He emphasized that the focus is on addressing existing challenges within the civil service before considering recruitment. Otti highlighted an employment embargo that he had put in place and expressed concerns about the high number of individuals already in the civil service. Despite acknowledging the need to enhance remuneration for civil servants, Otti mentioned that efforts are being made to improve training and performance within the existing workforce rather than immediately hiring new employees.
The governor mentioned during a media interaction session in Umuahia that measures would be taken to address underperforming employees and ensure that those in service are adequately trained to operate their skills effectively. He also noted the significant monthly wage bill for both local government and state employees, amounting to approximately four billion naira. Otti reassured that steps were being taken to enhance pay for civil servants but stressed the importance of optimizing the current workforce before considering new hires.
In summary, Governor Alex Otti’s administration in Abia State is prioritizing addressing internal challenges within the civil service, improving training and performance among existing employees, and enhancing remuneration rather than actively seeking to employ new individuals into the state’s civil service at this time.
