ABIA (Sundiata Post) – The Abia State Government has said it is waiting on the state House of Assembly to put in place some legislative matters before it would conduct local government elections in the state.
Governor Alex Otti who disclosed this in Umuahia said, “The timetable for local government election will be out as soon as some legislative matters are put in place in the State House of Assembly.”
The Governor stated that his administration was working closely with the leadership of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) to work out modalities for the payment of the new national minimum wage of N70,000.
Otti announced that while the State Government team works with the NLC on the modalities, the State Government still awaits further clarifications from the Federal Government on the way forward.
“A committee has already been set up. The Government Team together with the Nigeria Labour Congress is already working. We are not keeping quiet. We are already making progress”.
The Governor exonerated the former Commissioner for Health, Dr Ngozi Okoronkwo who was earlier suspended and later resigned, of any financial impropriety, adding that the report of the panel set to look into the activities of the former Commissioner did not indict her of any financial maleficence.
Otti said that since the commissioner in question resigned on her own, the government had no problem accepting her resignation.
On the former Commissioner for Science and Technology who recently resigned from his appointment, Otti said the former commissioner had no case with him as Governor or the Government of Abia State.
“The Commissioner resigned honourably and maintains alignment with the Government and Governor.
“The committee (investigative panel on former health commissioner) turned in its report and there were no financial impropriety found but there were conducts that were not consistent with lay down policies and procedures.
“I want to repeat that money was not stolen. Some procedures were abused. And since she offered to resign, the Government decided to accept her resignation,” Otti stated.
The Governor who disclosed that he has not borrowed to finance projects said that he would continue to be focused and ensure financial prudence.
