Otti approves upward review of Abia traditional rulers’ salaries

The Abia Government has approved the monthly payment of stipends ranging from N250,000 to N350,000 to traditional rulers in the state.

The Commissioner for Information, Mr. Okey Kanu, made this known on Monday during a press briefing on the outcome of the State Executive Council meeting in Umuahia.

Kanu also said that the members of the Traditional Rulers Council at the state and local governments leadership level would be getting an additional N100,000, monthly.

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Kanu reiterated the commitment of the state government to give a pride of place to Abia traditional rulers to promote the state’s cultural heritage.

The commissioner expressed the state resolve to rebase its 30-year development plan to reflect the current economic realities.

Kanu said that the State Economic Team that would be charged with the assignment would be inaugurated very soon.

“Rebasing is of course the process of updating an old base year with recent ones to reflect changes in prices of goods and services that are within the economy.

“We know that the economic situation being experienced in the country today makes it imperative that this exercise be carried out or reflect the condition of the economy,”he said.

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He said that the government had rejigged the State Harmonized Task force to ensure full compliance with it policies on street trading and driving against traffic.

Kanu said that in the past the state government had raised concerns about street trading and driving against traffic and its resultant negative effects.

He said:”These twin issues have become a menace and we are committed to ensure enforcement of the rules.

“The roads constructed across the street need to be preserved and when traders use the roads for trading they begin to wear off.

“Also, driving against traffic, known as one-way driving, will not be tolerated no matter how short the distance because it has led to road crashes in different occasions.”

He said that the government had taken serious steps to ensure that the rules would be enforced to stop these practices in the state.

On Education, the Commissioner said that the government had commenced the implementation of its Out-of-School Policy with the reopening of schools in the state after the Yuletide holidays.

Kanu also said that a special task-force had been established to ensure compliance with the initiative, aimed at eradicating the phenomenon of out-of-school children in Abia.

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He said :”The out of School policy of the state government has commenced officially with the reopening of schools today.

“A special task-force to enforce compliance has been put in place by the State government.

“This policy is very dear to the heart of his Excellency and his intention is to achieve a zero tolerance with out of School children in the state.

“So in the days ahead, this special task-force will ensure the compliance to ensure that the indigenes, who are indigent for some reason or the other, are not left behind.”