The 2019 gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Abia State, Dr. Alex Otti, has described Governor Okezie Ikpeazu as a hypocrite who is bereft of milk of human kindness.
Otti spoke against the backdrop of reported announcement by the Abia State government, during this year’s Workers’ Day celebration, that government was willing to pay the new N30,000 minimum wage recently signed into law by the President, Muhammadu Buhari.
“How are they going to do it? How are they going to pay N30,000 when they have not been able to pay N18,000?” Otti queried.
“It is sheer hypocrisy for Abia State government, under Ikpeazu, to pay lip service to Abia workers that it was going to pay the new minimum wage, when it is currently owing workers between three months and 15 months salaries.”
Otti, in a statement by Director Media and Publicity of Alex Otti Campaign Organisation, Kazie Uko, said news coming out of the May Day rally has exposed the hypocrisy and falsehood that Ikpeazu and his government have continued to perpetuate that workers’ salaries have been paid in full and no arrears owed.
He praised the workers for their resilience in spite of the hardship they have had to go through in their service to the state and urged them to remain steadfast and hopeful as Abia State was on the brink of a new dawn.
“It is heartwarming to note that the government finally acquiesced to the revelation by the Abia State chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Uchenna Obigwe, that the state government is owing workers of the state University Teaching Hospital 12 months salaries; those of the Hospital Management Board, nine months.
“Also being owed are secondary school teachers, 10 months; Abia Polytechnic, 13 months; College of Education, Arochukwu 15 months; Universal Basic Education Board, six months; local governments, two and half months; College of Health and Management Sciences, 13 months; and pensioners 19 to 25 months.

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