Abia Begins Payment of ₦61.8bn Gratuity Arrears, Resolves ASUU Dispute

The Abia State Government has commenced the payment of outstanding gratuities owed to retired state and local government workers, as part of efforts to address a backlog of liabilities inherited by the administration of Governor Alex Otti.

The Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, disclosed this in a statement, saying the government had commenced a structured process to settle the ₦61.8 billion gratuity arrears accumulated between 2001 and 2025.

According to Kanu, the actual liability was established following a comprehensive review and validation exercise conducted by the Gratuity Committee constituted by the present administration.

He said the review of records from the Abia State Pensions Board and Local Government Pensions Board showed that ₦7.2 billion accrued between 2001 and 2010, while ₦43.6 billion accumulated between 2011 and May 29, 2023.

A further ₦10.9 billion accrued from May 30, 2023, to date, bringing the total outstanding gratuity liability to ₦61.8 billion.

Kanu said Governor Otti had chosen to confront the inherited liability rather than allow it to persist, noting that a backlog accumulated over 24 years could not realistically be eliminated within the first three years of one administration.

He explained that gratuity payments from 2026 to 2031 would be incorporated into the state’s Medium-Term Expenditure Framework and annual budgets to ensure a sustainable repayment process and prevent the accumulation of fresh arrears.

The Commissioner said the payment process would be technology-driven and transparent, with verified beneficiaries receiving payments directly through a dedicated gratuity payment platform linked to the state’s Treasury Single Account.

He added that biometric validation would be deployed to eliminate duplication and fraudulent claims, while the oldest outstanding obligations would be prioritised.

Kanu further disclosed that the payment process had already moved beyond planning, with some verified beneficiaries having already received their final gratuity payments.

He said retirees and beneficiaries who require assistance or wish to lodge complaints could contact the Abia State Citizens Contact Centre on 0800-000-0232 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. on working days, or send enquiries to contactcenter@abiastate.gov.ng.

Meanwhile, the state government announced the resolution of all issues that triggered the recent industrial action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Abia State University, Uturu chapter.

Kanu said the concerns raised by the university’s academic staff centred largely on welfare issues, including outstanding check-off dues and salary-related matters.

He explained that Governor Otti had approved the necessary welfare measures as far back as April 2026, but their implementation was delayed by administrative processes.

According to him, the Governor subsequently directed a committee led by the Secretary to the State Government to resolve the outstanding issues within 48 hours.

The Commissioner said the intervention had resulted in the payment of the outstanding check-off dues, while a new salary structure incorporating relevant academic, teaching and related allowances had been processed for payment with the August 2026 salary.

He added that the new salary scale for other categories of staff of Abia State University had also been processed and would be reflected in their August salaries.

With the measures, Kanu said the major issues responsible for the industrial action had been addressed, paving the way for the restoration and continuation of normal academic activities at the university.

He assured Abians that the welfare of workers and retirees would remain central to the decisions and policies of the state government.