The Abia State Government has commenced the process of appointing a substantive Vice-Chancellor for Abia State University, Uturu, with a new occupant expected to assume office in November 2026.
Governor Alex Otti disclosed this on Thursday in Umuahia during his monthly media interaction, tagged “Governor Alex Otti Speaks to Abians.”
According to the governor, the selection process became necessary as the tenure of the institution’s acting Vice-Chancellor is expected to end in October. He said the vacancy has already been advertised and the recruitment process is underway.
“From first November, a substantive and new vice-chancellor would take over. Because of that, I think the advertisements have gone out, and the recruitment process has started”, Otti stated.
Otti also disclosed that his administration had made arrangements to pay pensions due to the next of kin of deceased pensioners, stressing that the government would continue to take steps to resolve outstanding pension obligations.
The governor said the state had recently completed the payment of outstanding gratuities owed to senior citizens who retired between 2001 and 2010.
He added that the government was preparing to commence the settlement of gratuities owed to those who retired from 2011 to date, subject to available resources.
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Otti said the outstanding gratuities were worth more than N60 billion, noting that the government would settle the obligations gradually while establishing mechanisms to ensure that pension-related challenges are permanently addressed.
“Just last month, we rolled out a contributory pension scheme for over 36,000 workers in the state.”
“What that means is that the issue of pensions and even gratuity will become seamless, since the contributory pension scheme is such that between the worker and the employer, some funds are set aside on a monthly basis to take care of the pension and gratuity that they forward you,” he added.
On citizen participation, the governor announced that the state’s Citizens’ Engagement Centre would soon be officially opened.
He explained that the facility would provide a platform for residents to seek clarification, raise concerns and offer suggestions on government policies.
In the education sector, Otti said the government was reconstituting the Secondary Education Management Board (SEMB) to oversee the administration of secondary education across Abia.
He further disclosed that 4,074 teachers had been recruited to address staffing shortages identified in schools across the state.
Otti also reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to providing accessible and quality healthcare, noting that Abia was recently ranked first in healthcare affordability and third in healthcare quality in the 2026 Phillips Consulting State Performance Index in Nigeria.