Communique issued by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Abia State Council, at the end of her Monthly Congress held at NUJ Press Centre, #1, Aba Road, Umuahia on Friday, 28th July, 2023

The Congress deliberated on sensitive issues bordering on security, welfare and wellbeing of her members in particular and Abians in general and adopted the following resolutions:

1. That Congress commends the Dr. Alex Chioma Otti-led administration for keeping to its promise of paying salaries of civil servants in the state on or before the 28th day of every month, as civil servants have confirmed being paid June and July salaries, as well as the arrears of April 2023 salary. Congress expresses hope that government will deligently and stealthily work towards clearing all outstanding arrears owed all government workers by the December 2023 deadline as promised by the Governor in his election. victory speech on March 22, 2023.
2. Congress welcomed the news of the payment of monthly pension to retirees, though the senior citizens complained of receiving an insignificant percentage of their monthly pensions. Congress urges the state government to hasten and conclude all verification exercises so that the pensioners would begin to be paid their monthly pensions in full to enhance their welfare and wellbeing.
3. Congress describes as heart warming, the news that Governor Otti met with retired judges hitherto in the employ of the state government and the forum agreed to set up a joint Committee to resolve issues of outstanding pensions and benefits due to the retired judges.
   Congress hails the move but urges government to address the issues of arrears of pensions, gratuity and benefits due to all retired workers in the state holistically as what is good for the geese is equally good for the gander. Since Governor Alex Otti had promised to put in place a mechanism for liquidation of all gratuity and arrears portfolio it inherited, there should be no dichotomy. The government ought to take the issues of arrears of salaries, pensions and gratuities in its strides and deal with them together as it affects all strata of workers and retirees.
4. Congress also takes note of the government’s vigorous palliative efforts on roads across the major cities of the state and urges government to take special interest in fixing the craters at Isigate, the epicenter of Umuahia, the capital city of the state, by urgently extending palliative work to the area to save pedestrians and motorists from impending accidents waiting to happen as a result of the dilapidated nature of the ever busy Isigate.
5. Congress congratulates the Governor for his unrelenting efforts in keeping Abia clean since declaring state of emergency on waste management upon assumption of office. Congress notes that government has intensified efforts in refuse disposal with the innovation of local production of refuse buckets and a further hint on turning waste to energy, targeted at job creation. This novelty is worth commending and Congress urges the state government to do all it can to sustain the effort and realise the turning-waste-to-energy project.
6. Talking about job creation, Congress reminds Governor Alex Otti of his promise, upon inauguration, to launch a N10 billion Micro, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises financing scheme to enable his administration to frontally tackle youth unemployment challenge in the state within one month of his inauguration. After two months in office, that promise is yet to materialise.
   Congress urges the Governor to fulfill his promise envisaged to have a multiplier effect on the economy of the state and econmic wellbeing of her citizenry.
7. That the state government should, as a matter of urgency, unveil its plan(s) for the provision of palliatives for Abians to cushion the devastating and debilitating effects of fuel subsidy removal by the Federal Government.
8. Congress enjoins the state government to put a tab on the activities of security agencies in the 17 local government areas of the state so as to curtail molestation, harassment, intimidation and extortion of her citizens and residents by security operatives. Leadership of security agencies should encourage their personnel to discharge their duties professionally, bearing in mind that Abians are law-abiding and appreciate their efforts aimed at protecting them and stamping out crime in the state.
9. Congress commends government for ensuring the dismantling of road blocks along Aba road and Bende road in Umuahia respectively but wishes to observe that the Police have resorted to blocking Bende Road at School Road and Finbarrs Road junctions as soon as it is nightfall, thereby destabilizing ignorant road users and forcing residents and shop owners along that axis to go to bed unusually early. Congress believes that it will be good if the Police can come out to announce a considerate time they would be closing the road, for public knowledge; that is if they can’t afford to leave the road open for 24 hours.

Communique Drafting Committee:

1. Comrade Chukwuma Emele
2. Chinenye Iwuoha
3. Loveday Adiele

Signed:
Comrade Victor Ndukwe
Chairman, Abia NUJ

Comrade Adaeze Ralph Igbokwe
Secretary