Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
A political storm has erupted in Abia State as the All Progressives Congress (APC) accused Governor Alex Otti of the Labour Party (LP) of failing to prioritise the welfare of workers and pensioners, alleging that many civil servants continue to earn far below the approved N70,000 national minimum wage. The APC's allegations were swiftly rejected by the Labour Party, which dismissed them as "desperate and blatant lies".
In an open letter titled "Open Letter to Gov. Alex Otti: Enough of the Propaganda, Abia Workers Deserve Dignity, Not Poverty," the APC, through its Publicity Secretary, Comrade Uche Aguoru, called on the Otti administration to immediately implement the approved minimum wage for all categories of workers. The APC claimed that some Abia civil servants still earn as little as N22,000 monthly, describing the situation as unacceptable and morally indefensible. According to the opposition party, some workers earning between N22,000 and N40,000 were owed salaries for up to three months, despite the state’s monthly allocations from the Federation Account and internally generated revenue.
The APC also criticised the government’s handling of pension payments and accused it of failing to implement a widely publicised promise to increase the monthly allowance of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members serving in the state to N50,000.
Responding to the allegations, the Abia State Publicity Secretary of the ruling Labour Party, Comrade Emenike Iroegbu, dismissed the APC’s claims as misleading and politically motivated. In a rejoinder titled "Abia APC Has No Shame: A Rejoinder to a Desperate and Delusional Open Letter," Iroegbu argued that the APC lacked the moral authority to criticise the present administration, having presided over years of unpaid salaries and poor welfare for workers while in government. He alleged that under previous administrations, workers were owed between 27 and 40 months’ salaries, while pensioners were routinely denied their entitlements.
Iroegbu maintained that Governor Otti inherited a backlog of unpaid salaries and had since ensured that workers receive their salaries on or before the 28th of every month. He also insisted that Abia was among the first states to implement the new national minimum wage. Addressing the APC’s claim that some workers still earn N22,000, Iroegbu said the affected workers belonged to the Abia State Passengers Integrated Manifest and Safety Scheme (AMPISS), an agency established under previous administrations with a contract-based remuneration structure. According to him, Governor Otti has abolished the distinction between “core” and “non-core” workers and commenced the process of regularising AMPISS staff.
The exchange highlights the deep political divisions in Abia State, with the opposition APC accusing the Labour Party government of failing to fulfil its promises, while the ruling party defends its record, pointing to the challenges inherited from previous administrations. The controversy comes amid broader national debates over the implementation of the N70,000 minimum wage and the welfare of workers and pensioners across Nigeria.
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