Abia State Governor Alex Otti has announced a renewed focus on identifying and pardoning minor offenders in the state’s correctional centres, alongside detailing comprehensive security and welfare measures ahead of the Yuletide season.
Speaking during his monthly media interaction in Umuahia on Friday, Governor Otti confirmed that he had directed the Nigerian Correctional Service Zonal Command to conduct a fresh review of inmates eligible for the prerogative of mercy.
The Governor acknowledged the difficulty of past attempts to grant pardons. “In the last two years, I made attempts to grant pardon to minor offenders using the prerogative of mercy, but we couldn’t find any. All the 1,900-plus inmates had serious offences,” Otti stated. He added that the goal of the current review is to see if there are individuals who can be considered “as we mark the end of the year.”
Beyond inmate pardons, the state government is also supporting correctional facilities, including erecting perimeter fences and constructing a new holding centre to “decongest the cells.” This is to ensure that those who enter the centre “do not come out as hardened criminals,” according to the Governor.
Security and Infrastructure
Governor Otti stressed the imperative of public vigilance during the festive period, despite ongoing government efforts to maintain peace. He affirmed regular consultations with security service commanders (Police, Army, NSCDC, and others) but placed a premium on citizen involvement.
“As a government, we are doing all necessary to ensure a secure environment. Intelligence is key,” he said, appealing directly to residents: “Give information, take charge of your own security and don’t fear.”
In a push to improve transportation and infrastructure, Otti announced the imminent deployment of electric buses, expected to be operational “before the end of the year,” which will “further crash the cost of transportation in the state.”
The administration also disclosed plans to acquire the power distribution network in Umuahia and surrounding Local Government Areas (LGAs), a move designed to enable the state to distribute excess power generated in Aba.
Welfare Commitments
The state remains up-to-date on monthly salary payments to workers. Furthermore, Governor Otti addressed the substantial, long-standing backlog of gratuity payments, verified at over ₦60 billion since 2001. Describing the situation as “disheartening,” he assured that gradual payments would commence shortly.
Finally, the Governor announced a significant increase in the extra allowance paid to members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) serving in the state, raising the sum from a historical ₦4,000 to between ₦20,000 and ₦50,000, dependent on their posting location.
