You Deserve To Be Celebrated, Governor Otti Tells Members Of Nigerian Legion, Speaks on Judiciary Worker’s Strike
You Deserve To Be Celebrated, Governor Otti Tells Members Of Nigerian Legion, Speaks on Judiciary Worker’s Strike
The Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti says members of the Nigerian Legion and the entire Nigerian armed forces deserve to be celebrated.
Governor Otti stated this at the interdenominational thanksgiving service as part of activities marking the commemoration of the fallen heroes and wreath laying by the Nigerian Armed Forces held at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Chapel, Federal Medical Centre Umuahia.
According to the Governor Otti, “The truth about it is that it is not easy to make sacrifices. You sign up for a job and you know that the chances of dying are 50-50.
“So, for you to have taken that decision, you deserve to be celebrated and today we celebrate you”, Governor Otti stated.
“We want to also celebrate the fallen heroes and now that we have strong leadership, I would want the Special Adviser on Security to sit with the leadership of Nigerian Legion, so that we see how we can make life easier for you and your families”, Otti reassured.
The Governor further said that the heroes are not just being rememberer but are being celebrated.
“So, today we are not just remembering, we are also celebrating you, the indefatigable men and women of our armed forces for the day and night that you spend on duty to ensure that we sleep with our two eyes closed”, Otti noted.
Governor Alex Otti, who used the opportunity to speak on the ongoing judiciary workers’ strike in the State said that his attention was brought to the issue through a newspaper publication. He said that his Government does not owe workers but explained that the leadership of the Judiciary staff refused to come and sit down with the Government to do a review.
“Yesterday, I saw in the newspapers that Nigerian Bar Association was advising me in the newspapers to pay (judiciary workers) and I thought that Nigerian Bar Association should have known better.
“First of all, you should know that, this is a Government that does not owe. So, it is untrue that judiciary workers have not been paid.
“By the time the minimum wage was reviewed upwards, we started engaging with them just like Nigerian Labour Congress.
“Interestingly, they refused to come and sit with Government, they sat in the comfort of their offices and did their own review themselves and the matter was getting a bit more serious.
“So, I had to intervene and engaged with the Honourable Chief Judge who intervened and asked them to bring their calculations and when we saw their calculation, we found a lot of errors, which we corrected”, Governor Otti clarified.
According to the Governor, he later sat down with the Government team and worked out Judiciary Workers salary on December 24th, 2024.
“I sat down myself to ensure that by the 24th of December, I worked with the Accountant General, Commissioner for Justice and Commissioner for Finance and we concluded everything about their salary and on the 24th of December, we remitted N283,242,318.50 to the judiciary.
“Interestingly, as at this morning, they have refused to pay their workers. Now, Judiciary is an arm of Government that is independent. Our job is to remit the money to their account and their job is to pay their workers.
“I even approved another N27 million to make it about N300 million which they should have also received and I approved an additional money for the thirteenth month salary that I paid other people”, Otti explained.
In his remarks, the State Chairman, Nigeria Legion, Captain Ekekwe Duroha Rtd, while thanking God for the day to remember their fallen colleagues and to celebrate those actively serving the nation, said nothing can quantify their sacrifices.
Captain Duroha also noted that members of the armed forces pass through lots of hardship in the line of duty and called on all to always uphold them in prayers.
In a Sermon earlier, the Administrator FMC Chaplaincy, The Very Rev. Ernest Onyeukwu while appreciating members of the armed forces for their bravery and sacrifices in safeguarding the nation, prayed God to always protect them and their families.
The Very Rev. Onyeukwu who preached on the topic: “Fear Not; For I am with you”, urged Christians not to be afraid of any obstacle in life as those who put their trust in the supreme authority of God will always be victorious.
The Interdenominational Thanksgiving Service was attended by the wife of the Governor, Her Excellency, Mrs. Priscilla Otti, the Deputy Governor Chief Ikechukwu Emetu and Wife, the Speaker Abia House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Emmanuel Emeruwa and wife, members of the state Executive Council, the State Chief Judge Justice Lilian Abai, Service Chiefs, members of the Nigerian Legion and their spouses and host of other Abians.
Ctz. Ukoha Njoku Ukoha
Chief Press Secretary (Gov.)
Government House , Umuahia.
12-01-2025.