The Abia State Government (ABSG) has announced significant progress in resolving the ongoing strike by the Abia State chapter of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN), disclosing that most of the contentious issues have been substantially addressed and a final resolution is imminent.
Speaking at a joint press conference held at Government House, Umuahia, the Director General of the Strategic Communication Bureau, Barr. Onyebuchi Ememanka, alongside the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Mr. Ferdinand Ekeoma, said the government has maintained sustained engagement with JUSUN leadership.

Barr. Ememanka revealed that negotiations have reached an advanced stage, with both parties close to concluding discussions. He explained that one of the major issues—leave allowance—has been conclusively resolved following mutual understanding.
According to him, it was established during negotiations that judiciary workers on consolidated salaries already have leave allowance embedded in their earnings. The disagreement, he clarified, stemmed from the variation between the previous five percent leave bonus and the revised ten percent agreed in 2025. He noted that government has agreed to offset the outstanding five percent arrears predating the 2025 agreement.

On pensions, the government reiterated its commitment to due process, stressing that only verified retirees would be eligible for payment. He confirmed that verification of retired judiciary staff is currently underway.

Addressing concerns over financial autonomy of the judiciary, Barr. Ememanka emphasized that the state is in substantial compliance, explaining that funds are disbursed monthly in bulk to the judiciary, which independently manages its internal allocations through the office of the Chief Judge and the Judicial Service Commission.
He further clarified that the executive does not directly handle salary payments of judiciary staff, noting that the judiciary retains administrative control over recruitment, promotion, and remuneration of its personnel.

The government also faulted a recent communiqué issued by the Forum of Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Chairmen in the state, describing it as outdated and not reflective of current developments. Barr. Ememanka dismissed claims that the Governor ignored requests for engagement, stating that the NBA declined a proposed virtual meeting with the Attorney General, while approval for a courtesy visit with the Governor is still in process due to official schedules.
He noted that the government had intended to maintain silence on the negotiations but was compelled to respond following the NBA’s threat to mobilize protests.

Corroborating the position, Mr. Ferdinand Ekeoma stated that the press briefing was convened to set the record straight and highlight government’s proactive efforts. He confirmed that JUSUN has now acknowledged that leave allowance is embedded in their consolidated salaries, aligning with the government’s longstanding position.
Mr. Ekeoma reaffirmed the state government’s openness to continued dialogue with JUSUN, the NBA, and other stakeholders to ensure a lasting resolution.

The development signals a major step toward ending the industrial action, raising hopes for the restoration of full judicial services in Abia State in the coming days.

The Deputy Governor of Abia State, Chief Ikechukwu Emetu, has raised concern over persistent absenteeism among primary health workers, warning that the trend is undermining the state’s efforts to improve healthcare delivery.

He made this known during the Quarter One (Q1) 2026 Task Force meeting on Primary Health Care held at Government House, Umuahia, where he stressed the need for accountability and renewed commitment within the sector.

Chief Emetu called on communities to take ownership of primary healthcare facilities in their areas by protecting them from theft and vandalism, noting that community participation is key to achieving better health outcomes.

He explained that the meeting was not only to review first-quarter activities but also to assess progress and chart a more impactful path forward. According to him, reports from the first quarter show notable improvements, urging stakeholders to sustain the momentum and aim for optimal performance.

The Deputy Governor also encouraged residents to utilize available helplines to report cases of absenteeism and negligence among health workers, emphasizing that such feedback would help strengthen service delivery.

Reaffirming the state government’s commitment, he assured that efforts are ongoing to reposition the health sector through improved collaboration with relevant agencies, strategic redistribution of health workers, and incentives to reward excellence. He added that the goal is to make Abia the best-performing state in healthcare delivery in the South-East and across Nigeria.

Chief Emetu further commended the reintroduction of sex education in schools, describing it as a proactive step toward reducing teenage pregnancies and addressing related social challenges.

Earlier, the Executive Secretary of the Abia State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Kalu Ulu Kalu, said the meeting was convened to review PHC activities for 2025 and the first quarter of 2026, identify gaps, and develop strategies for improved performance.

He expressed appreciation to the state government, led by Governor Alex Otti, and development partners for their sustained support, noting that their contributions have significantly enhanced healthcare delivery in the state.

Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Women Affairs, Mrs Oguama Ogechi , described the reintroduction of sex education as a timely intervention that would help curb teenage pregnancy, child trafficking, and related social issues.

Representatives of development partners, including WHO, UNICEF, ASUBEB, and the National Orientation Agency (NOA), commended the state government’s leadership and pledged continued collaboration.

They emphasized the need for stronger community engagement in safeguarding PHCs and proposed the establishment of zonal centres to improve access to professional healthcare services.

The meeting was attended by key stakeholders, development partners, and top government officials and ended on a positive note with renewed commitments toward strengthening primary healthcare delivery in Abia State.

Amah Ijeoma
FIC Correspondent office of the Deputy Governor
19/03/202

The Abia State Government has announced major strides in electricity regulation and infrastructure, describing them as the backbone driving ongoing reforms in the health and transport sectors across the state.

Briefing journalists after the State Executive Council meeting chaired by Governor Alex Otti, the Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, disclosed that the Abia State Electricity Regulatory Commission (ASERA) will, before the end of January, issue a comprehensive order to regularise all electricity activities in the state.

This follows the release of the final Transfer of Regulatory Authority Order by the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to ASERA.

According to Kanu, the move will ensure quicker resolution of consumer complaints, stronger consumer protection, improved service delivery, and a fair balance between electricity operators and consumers in Abia State.

Providing updates on the state’s electric bus initiative, the Commissioner said the arrival of additional charging stations will significantly increase the number of Electricity Bus charging points across the state.

He explained that this development follows the installation of a 2MVA, 33/10.415AB distribution substation at the Umuahia Central Bus Terminal.
Sir Kanu recalled that, in a bid to offer free bus services to Abians during the yuletide, the Ministry of Transport had earlier installed temporary charging stations for the electric buses.

With the new infrastructure, he said all necessary support systems are now being put in place to guarantee a smooth and hitch-free commencement of full electric bus operations at the terminal.He added that work on the substation has reached about 80 per cent completion, with commissioning expected by the end of the month.

On developments in the health sector, the Commissioner revealed that the state has so far employed 649 medical personnel out of the 771 approved for recruitment. Of this number, 422 are nurses who have been deployed to primary healthcare centres currently being equipped and functionalised across the state.

Notably, Kanu disclosed that some of the newly recruited health workers had opportunities to work abroad but chose to remain in Abia State, citing their confidence in Governor Alex Otti’s leadership and the sweeping reforms in the health sector.

“Among the newly recruited medical personnel are those who have access to work overseas, who have chosen to come and work for the state government,

“because of the confidence they have in the leadership style of the Governor and the massive reforms being carried out in the state’s health sector.

“Recently, a neurosurgeon was employed amongst this new set of medical personnel, someone who is an expert in this field and has a very rare speciality in medical practise”, Prince Kanu stated.

He further announced that the Forum of Academic Doctors has recently rated Governor Otti as the best-performing governor in the South-East, in recognition of the massive transformation recorded across key sectors of governance.

In a related development, Prince Kanu announced a ban on illegal parking of commercial vehicles on city roads, following government observations of indiscriminate parking by bus operators in Umuahia. He warned that defaulters risk having their vehicles impounded as enforcement begins in earnest.

Consequently, the Abia State Ministry of Housing will soon flag off the construction of a Civil Service Commission, Pocket  Layout Estate in Umuahia as agreements have equally been reached by developers to construct various housing estates.

According to the Commissioner, the move to construct housing estates across the state, which would be done through a Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement is in line with the vision of Governor Otti to provide for the welfare of Abians.

“In line with the Governor’s vision to provide for the welfare of Abia citizens in terms of housing, the State Ministry of Housing will soon flag off the construction of a Civil Service Commission, Pocket – Layout Estate in Umuahia.

“This will provide quality and affordable housing to Abians. Also, the Ministry is in serious discussions with private developers, under the Public Private Partnership model for the proposed estates at Mbaisii and Mgbarakuma-Ubakala Umuahia.

“The Ministry is on the verge of signing necessary agreements for the developers to move to site without delay”, Prince Kanu noted.

Contributing, the Commissioner for Housing, Architect Chiemela Uzoije, while explaining the reason behind the adoption of the name of the estate located at the former Civil Service Commission premises, said the housing estates, which is for all, would be affordable.

He maintained that the housing projects are in line with the determination of Governor Otti to change the narrative about public housing in the state and revealed how the estates would be developed.

“Some of them (estates) are going to be built by us. But the case of the civil service layout is what we call it because, it’s where the Civil Service Commission used to be.

“As a matter of fact, it’s not just for civil servants alone. It’s for the generality of abians. So civil servants are included.

“We’re about to kick start some of our major projects. As a matter of fact, we’ve already done that because last year, sometime before the end of last year, we signed off with one of the developers who is currently working at Obehie in Ukwa West.

“That is what we call a site and services scheme. In other words, he’s developing the estate for us in conjunction with the state government, and then at the end of the day, we’ll passulate the plots and allow them for people to build.

“So that whole area (former Civil Service Commission premises) , we’re going to turn it into an estate for Abians and it’s going to be for medium income and a segment of the high income class.

“In that place, we’re going to have some blocks of flats. We’re going to have some semi-detached duplexes and standard duplexes. We want to bring a new narrative into the housing sector of the state, because you can agree with me that so far, we don’t really have very functional housing estates in Abia state” Architect Uzoije explained.

Architect Uzoije further said that a combination of models are being applied for the estate development projects.

“The PPP model is going to come into place. Already it’s in place at Obehie, Ukwa West. We are going to use the same model from Mgbarakuma and part of Ubakala, because we also have the intention of getting a new estate around there.

“But then, the ones inside the town, because of the way they are going to impact on our people in terms of creating jobs, the multiplier effect on the society, we want to make sure that people’s income will be beefed up because so many people are going to be involved.

“So like the Civil Service Commission, the government is going to handle that one and then we are going to create a lot of jobs.

“But these other ones, the government is giving out the land. The government is also participating in the implementation of the housing estate. It’s not as if once we give out the land, then we go backwards. No.
The government is going to be part and parcel of the day-to-day management of these estates in order to be sure that they are going to be delivered at the end of the day” Architect Uzoije noted.

According to him, the combined reforms in electricity regulation, transport infrastructure and healthcare delivery underscore the Otti administration’s commitment to building a functional, modern and people-centred Abia State.