A chieftain of the All Progressive Congress Party in Abia State, Eric Dwyse Ikwuagwu, has accused Governor Alex Otti of running a vindictive administration that has systematically decimated the state’s civil service through mass sackings and premature retirements.
In a detailed statement, Ikwuagwu alleged that the governor, driven by a mindset of vendetta, sacked over 40 permanent secretaries in one swoop, wiping out an entire senior cadre of public servants who held institutional memory and operational knowhow.
“Otti’s onslaught against those perceived to have worked closely with past administrations was the sack of more than 40 Permanent Secretaries in one go. This jolt in the system wiped out an entire senior cadre of public servants who hold the institutional memory and operational knowhow of the service,” he said.
Ikwuagwu further alleged that since May 2025, about 150 directors have been sacked under a policy that removes any director who has spent eight years in that position—regardless of years left to retirement. Many of those sacked had 10 to 15 years of service remaining.
He also claimed that over 15,000 junior workers were sacked for no justified reason, and that approximately 70 former permanent secretaries and directors have died since May 2023, attributing many deaths to high blood pressure and other illnesses linked to the stress of premature disengagement.
Ikwuagwu noted that workers sacked prematurely do not receive their entitlements, while the state’s outstanding gratuity debt has risen to over N67 billion. He contrasted Abia with Imo State, which used N83 billion to clear gratuity arrears dating back to 2005.
He also alleged that many Abia workers earn between N23,000 and N55,000 monthly, far below the minimum wage, despite the government spending over N40 billion on “Research and Development”—much of it for training civil servants.
“Keeping it honest,” Ikwuagwu concluded, calling for an end to what he described as the harsh treatment of Abia workers.
As of press time, the Abia State Government had not issued an official response to the allegations.
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