Otti Gives Abia Teachers N1 Billion and Orders Sacked Staff Back to Work

Posted by Chinenye on Tue 06th Oct, 2026 - tori.ng

Abia Governor Alex Otti has announced a major package for teachers, including N1 billion to be shared among them and the return of affected teachers under 65.

(Abia State Governor, Alex Otti. Photo by Vanguard News)

Abia State Governor Alex Otti has approved a N1 billion appreciation fund for teachers in the state and ordered that all disengaged teachers below 65 years be brought back to work.

He made the announcement on Monday in Umuahia at the 2026 World Teachers Day celebration.

He said no teacher under 65 should stay out of service because of an earlier disengagement.

The money will be shared equally among all teachers, whether they joined the service today or 64 years ago.

Otti said he has told the Accountant-General to share it that way.

He told the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education to return all affected teachers right away, saying no further approval is needed, even if a teacher is only six months from retirement.

Otti also ordered that teachers whose pay was held back over verification issues be paid by the end of October.

The 4,075 newly recruited teachers who have not received any salary are also to be paid.

On promotions, he told ASUBEB to finish processing the 2021 and 2022 promotions and send them to the Head of Service for approval.

The teachers affected are to be promoted before the end of October.

He also gave the Accountant-General seven days to clear unpaid check-off dues.

The governor said many of the issues raised by the Nigeria Union of Teachers have been dealt with, while others are being looked into.

He said his government sees education as the base for the state's growth, and that the smart schools being built in all 17 local government areas will prepare pupils for the future without replacing regular schooling.

He also restated the state's commitment to free and compulsory education and congratulated Abia pupils who did well at a schools debate event in Qatar and those who topped NECO exams.

The Commissioner, Goodluck Ubochi, listed teacher recruitment, training, better school buildings, modern learning spaces and smart schools among the reforms underway.

The state NUT chairman praised the progress so far, including a bigger education budget, mass recruitment, free basic education and the rise in teachers retirement age from 60 to 65.

He still asked for better welfare for teachers and for the remaining problems to be solved.

The event also had a march-past by teachers from across the state.