Abia State Government has reiterated its resolve to wipe off the backlog of pension arrears that have accumulated over the years.

Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, who disclosed this in Umuahia during a press briefing after the State Executive Council meeting, reassured that the arrears of pension would be cleared before the end of the year.

He said that as soon as the on-going verification of pensioners expected to end next week was concluded action on the liquidation of the accumulated arrears would commence.

According to the State Co-ordinator of Pensioners, Elder Emeka Okezie, pensioners are owed for 48 months.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner said that pensioners were satisfied with the approach of Government in the on-going verification exercise as it was arranged in a way it would be convenient for all retirees including the sick ones and those abroad.

According to him while the pensioners are to report at the sub-treasury nearest to them, the sick ones are captured in their homes, and verification code sent to those abroad for online verification.

” Once we’re done with the verification, Government will pay off all outstanding pensions. It was a promise made during the campaigns, and the Governor, Dr Alex Otti has vowed to keep it. The era of promise and fail is over!”

The Commissioner also said that in continuation of the Governor’s strides in the infrastructural development of the state, more newly rehabilitated roads were ready for inauguration in Aba.

Some of the affected roads include: Kent Road, Ehi Road, People’s Road, Omuma Road and Cemetery Road phase 2.

He added that Government is distilling many roads in the commercial city of Aba while the on-going patching/maintenance work on major streets in Umuahia the state capital is also on top gear.

On the 6.8 kilometer Port Harcourt Road Aba that was awarded to Julius Berger last week, the Commissioner said that the construction firm had 18 months to deliver the project.

He added that the firm had been heavily mobilised to site.

Adding his voice, Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Prince Uzor Nwachukwu, disowned a purported list of Local Government Transition Committee members circulating in the social media.

The Commissioner who said that the said list was fake urged members of the public to discountenance such list.

He explained that the Governor whose prerogative it was to make such appointments had not released any list to that effect.

The Commissioner however, admitted that the Governor had been consulting with the stakeholders in various LGAS for their inputs in the membership of the TC committee.

According to him, nomination of TC councilors were made by the various stakeholders pending the approval of the Governor who does not want to impose anybody on the councils.

He assured that Council election would be conducted after the on-going clean up in the Council administration following the rot left behind by the previous administration.

” We met a lot of rot in the system and we are cleaning them up. The Governor is constitutionally empowered to appoint TC members to run the affairs of the councils until election is held”.

The Commissioner further explained that unlike before, the State Government “does not tamper” with Council funds and federal allocations.

He explained that under the current administration in the state, council funds are being warehoused for them, adding that the Governor had also promised to source money to support any Council that is frugal and active.

” For the first time in the history of this state, council funds are sent to them for development”, he said.

The General Manager, Abia State Environmental Protection Agency, ASEPA, Mr Ogbonnia Okereke, disclosed that additional 23 buckets had been acquired by the State Government for waste evacuation in Aba and Umuahia.

He restated the readiness of the agency to improve the environmental sanitation of the state but expressed concern that some residents are yet to comply with the official time to disposing their household wastes which is from 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm every day.

He also appealed to residents to properly package their wastes before disposing them into the refuse bins for easy evacuation.

The ASEPA boss further said that the six successful private firms in the tender for waste management would soon be engaged, adding that some staff of ASEPA could be engaged by the firms when they come on board.

He urged residents to pay their ASEPA bills to enable the agency function more effectively.

In his contribution, the Commissioner for Sports, Mr Nwaobilo Ananaba, said that the State Government had embarked on sensitisation of schools to revive sports in the state.

He said that the state had re-introduced Sports Day, adding that Inter House Sports will also be encouraged by the State Government across schools in the state.

The Commissioner said that State Government had commenced talent haunt for sports stars so as to catch them young.

Ananaba who said that plans were in the pipeline for massive renovation of stadiums in the state, added that some Chinese investors had indicated interest in developing Nsulu Games Village.