By Ayodele Quadri, Lagos Times Correspondent
UMUAHIA, ABIA STATE — Abia State Governor Dr. Alex Otti has ordered an immediate investigation into the alleged arbitrary stoppage of the July 2026 salary of a junior civil servant attached to the government house.
The directive follows allegations raised during Governor Otti’s monthly media interaction in Umuahia. The Director-General of the Abia State Office of Due Process and Public Procurement Bureau, Mr. Oluebube Chukwu, reportedly instructed the Accountant-General of the state, Njum Uma-Onyemenam, to withhold the July salary of a driver in his office as disciplinary punishment for an undisclosed offence.
Core Highlights of the Governor’s Directive
Responding to the issue, Governor Otti expressed concern over the action, describing any unilateral stoppage of a public servant’s legitimate earnings as unacceptable and contrary to public service rules.
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SSG Panel Mandate: Governor Otti directed the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) to formally institute a panel of inquiry to review the circumstances surrounding the salary stoppage and establish whether administrative protocols were violated.
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Adherence to Due Process: The governor emphasized that public service rules contain explicit provisions for disciplining erring civil servants. He stressed that no officer, regardless of seniority, has the authority to arbitrarily withhold a worker’s pay without formal query, investigation, and fair hearing.
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Institutional Accountability: Otti reiterated that his administration’s commitment to due process must apply internally across all government bureaus and executive appointments without exception.
“Where a civil servant is alleged to have committed an offence or violated any regulation, the appropriate procedures must be followed, including investigation and the opportunity for the affected officer to respond to the allegation before any disciplinary action is taken.”
— Governor Alex Otti, Abia State
