UMUAHIA – Commissioner for Finance, Abia State, Mr Mike Akpara, has said that Gov. Alex Otti inherited salary arrears of N16.5 billion from his predecessor.
He frowned at the attitude of those who are propagating blackmail against the government, adding that efforts are being intensified to clear the inherited arrears. “We will do it in instalments so that it does not hamper the progress of another sector of the economy,” he said. He said that 235 staff are unverified, 27 disabled, while 19 names were found in different institutions, adding that 407 staff who have accounts with ABSU Microfinance bank are not compliant.
The Commissioner said that the era of “generate and spend is over”, explaining that the decision is aimed at sanitizing the system.