Ikpeazu reaffirms commitment to prompt salary payment

Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State has restated the commitment of his administration to prompt payment of workers’ salaries.

He said will always prioritise salary payment in the interest of industrial harmony.
The governor spoke when the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) and Assembly of Health Professionals, Abia State Council, visited him at the Government House in Umuahia.
Ikpeazu however reminded the workers that they must also appreciate the genuine challenges the government was experiencing, especially in the face of dwindling revenues, and called for their understanding and cooperation.

He appreciated the leadership of JOHESU for their warm acknowledgements of his administration’s efforts in managing challenges in the health sector, but frowned at the attitude of some other unions who, despite receiving three months salary arrears last December, still went on strike in January.
Ikpeazu promised to take a second look at the recent circular for the implementation of CONHESS to correct the perceived anomaly.

Chairman of the union Comrade Okoro Ogbonnaya said their visit was to appreciate the governor’s efforts in addressing workers’ welfare, especially as regards JOHESU.
He highlighted the implementation of CONHESS to health workers, release of running costs to the Executive Secretary of the State Primary Health Care Agency and Local Government Health Secretaries in the State, the release of salary arrears to various health workers, among others, as some of the governor’s gestures to the union, and assured him of their support.
Ogbonnaya, however, implored the governor to take a second at the implementation of CONHESS as his directive was wrongly implemented by the civil service through the current circular.