Abia Starts Gratuity Payments, Ends ABSU Strike After Resolving Workers’ Demands

The Abia State Government has commenced the payment of gratuities to retired workers and resolved the issues that led to the recent industrial action at Abia State University (ABSU), Uturu.

The announcement followed the State Executive Council meeting chaired by Governor Alex Otti. According to the government, a committee established to oversee the gratuity payment process reviewed records from both the State Pensions Board and the Local Government Pensions Board.

The review revealed an outstanding gratuity liability of N61.8 billion owed to retirees from both the state and local government sectors. The government disclosed that N7.2 billion of the debt accumulated between 2001 and 2010, while N43.6 billion covered the period from 2011 to May 2023. Another N10.9 billion accrued from May 2023 to date.

To address the backlog, the committee recommended that the financial obligations be captured in the state’s Medium-Term Expenditure Framework and annual budgets from 2026 to 2031. The plan is aimed at ensuring gradual payment of the arrears while preventing the accumulation of new debts.

The government also announced that gratuities will be paid directly to verified beneficiaries through a dedicated payment platform linked to the Treasury Single Account (TSA), ensuring transparency and accountability in the process.

On the situation at ABSU, the state government confirmed that all issues responsible for the strike have been resolved following the intervention of a committee set up by Governor Otti.

Outstanding check-off dues have reportedly been paid, while the new salary structure and consolidated academic allowances for academic staff will be reflected in the August 2026 salary payments. The revised salary scale for non-academic staff has also been processed and is expected to be paid within the same period.

The government stated that workers’ welfare remains a priority and reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining dialogue with labour unions to sustain industrial harmony across the state.