Abia State Government says no fewer than 62, 479 workers and pensioners have so far been captured in the biometric verification exercise that commenced in July.
This is as the Government has announced two week extension of the exercise, adding that by the end of November, any civil servant or pensioner not captured would be yanked off from the state's payroll.
Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, who disclosed this during a press conference after the State Executive Council meeting, said that Government embarked on the exercise as part of the necessary measures to weed out ghost workers and ghost pensioners, and ultimately sanitise the civil service system.
He said that although the exercise was supposed to have been concluded, Government decided to extend it to accommodate those who missed out.
"The verification of workers happens to be one of the major reforms in the civil service and that exercise has almost ended but Government in its determination to give human face to any of its activities, decided to give some form of extension particularly to those who have not been able to take their chance to do so".
Shedding more light on the verification exercise, Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Special Duties, Dr Betty Emeka-Obasi, explained that the reason for the two week extension was to ensure that no genuine Abia worker or pensioner was left out.
She noted that 11,479 persons who presented for verification were yet to complete the process for different reasons.
The SSA urged those yet to be captured including pensioners who travelled abroad to take advantage of the grace period to complete the process.
She said that the Alex Otti-led administration was poised to end the plight of workers and pensioners by ensuring regular payment of salaries and pensions, hence the need for the verification.
According to her, the verification team comprises necessary stakeholders from the relevant bodies and labour unions.
"We set up a verification committee. We picked people from the State Civil Service, the Local Government, the Pensions Board, Parastatals, Organised Labour (NLC, TUC), ICPC, just to make sure that what we are doing is credible "
Dr Emeka-Obasi who said that the data of those already verified had been sent to the Heads of their Ministries and establishments, advised anyone with complaint to lodge same at the desk office created at the Ministry of Finance premises for necessary corrections.
Special Adviser to the Governor on Policy & Intervention, Rev. Father Dr Christian Anokwuru, who was also at the press conference, said that Government had concluded arrangements to site a project worth N15 million in every Autonomous Community in the state.
He said that he would soon embark on tour of all the Autonomous Communities in the state to identify the projects selected by each community.
According to him, each community will choose a project of its choice to be executed by Government in partnership with the Community and Social Development Agency.
He explained that the benefiting community would contribute five percent of the cost of the project, adding that such contribution will give them a sense of responsibility over such project.
According to him, a community must have a bank account to qualify for the gesture, adding that such a community should apply with a letter headed paper.
Meanwhile the Commissioner for Information said that the gesture was part of Government's strategy to extend development to the hinterland.
He said that the on-going massive infrastructural development in Aba and Umuahia would soon get to every Local Government Area in the state.
Price Kanu said that with the recent Inauguration of three newly- renovated roads in Aba, Gov. Otti's administration, in less than six months, had rehabilitated six roads in the commercial city.
He said that work had commenced in a number of other roads in Aba including the 6.8 Port Harcourt Road Aba awarded to Julius Berger.
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" Julius Berger has secure its yard in Aba, and work has commenced on the Port Harcourt Road", he said.
The Commissioner further said that work had resumed on the abandoned Aba-Port Harcourt Expressway courtesy of the Federal Government following intense pressure by the State Government.
He said that one lane of the dual carriage way which had nearly collapsed, was expected to be completely renovated from Aba to Obigbo border town before the end of November.
According to him both lanes will be fully ready by December 2023.
Adding his voice, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Kazie Uko, said that before the latest federal Government decided to mobilise the contractor back to site, the State Government had already made up its mind to intervene on the highway following a public outcry.
Arguing that most of the road users are Abians, Uko said that Gov. Otti was in a hurry to restore Abia's lost glory and make it the destination for investors.
