- Governor Alex Otti has authorized the payment of pension arrears for retirees of the Abia State Agricultural Development Programme (ADP) who served between 2000 and 2010.
- The move addresses a long-standing injustice where these workers were excluded from a 2011 policy that made ADP roles pensionable only for those serving after that date.
- This approval follows a successful appeal by the “Surviving Abia ADP Retirees” group through the Office of the Ombudsman and Public Complaints.
Abia State Governor Alex Otti has once again moved to settle long-standing labor debts by approving the payment of a 10-year backlog of pension arrears for retirees of the Abia State Agricultural Development Programme (ADP).
Eko Hot Blog reports that the The decision was announced on Wednesday, March 11, 2026 and it targets those who retired between 2000 and 2010, a group that had been historically excluded from the state’s pension scheme.
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The approval is a direct response to a humanitarian appeal made by the “Surviving Abia ADP Retirees 2000–2010.”
When the ADP was first established, employment within the agency was non-pensionable.
Although the state government changed this policy in 2011, it failed to apply the benefits retroactively, leaving those who served during the previous decade in financial limbo.
In a statement released by the Chief Press Secretary, Ukoha Njoku-Ukoha, the governor was praised for his “swift and compassionate response.”
The statement noted that the retirees were encouraged to step forward after witnessing the current administration clear other decade-long backlogs for various state pensioners and workers.
This latest payment is part of a broader fiscal strategy by the Otti administration to “right the wrongs” of previous governments.
Since taking office, the governor has tackled a mountain of inherited debt, including:
- 32 months of salary arrears for staff of Ogbonnaya Onu Polytechnic.
- 26 months of arrears for workers at the Abia State University Teaching Hospital (ABSUTH).
- 36 months of back-pay for staff at the Abia State College of Education Technical Arochukwu (ASCETA).
- Significant salary backlogs for primary school teachers and the Health Management Board.
Njoku-Ukoha emphasized that this move underscores the administration’s belief that “governance must be about the welfare of the people.”
By including the ADP retirees in the state’s pension net, the government aims to provide immediate relief to senior citizens who have endured “untold hardship” due to past administrative omissions.
