“I Have Given the Approval From Here. Please Bring All of Them Back” — Gov. Alex Otti Orders Reinstatement of Teachers Below 65, Approves ₦1bn Appreciation Fund

The Executive Governor of Abia State, Dr. Alex Chioma Otti, OFR, has announced a ₦1 billion Teachers’ Appreciation Fund for teachers across the state, alongside a series of far-reaching directives aimed at addressing outstanding welfare, salary, promotion and retirement-related issues affecting educators.

Governor Otti announced the measures on Monday, October 5, 2026, during the 2026 World Teachers’ Day celebration held at the Michael Okpara Event Centre, Umuahia, following demands presented by the Abia State Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Comrade Madu ChukwuJekwu.

The ₦1 billion fund, according to the Governor, is to be distributed equally among teachers in the state as a special gesture of appreciation for their contribution to education, human capital development and the upbringing of Abia’s children. Reports from the event also indicate that the allowance is to be paid in October and designated as the Teachers’ Appreciation Allowance.

The Governor directed the Accountant-General of the State to ensure an equal distribution of the fund among teachers, stressing that the gesture was intended to recognise teachers irrespective of when they joined the service.

Beyond the appreciation fund, Governor Otti used the occasion to address several outstanding demands of the teaching workforce, giving specific deadlines to relevant government officials.

On check-off dues, the Governor directed the Accountant-General to ensure that all outstanding obligations owed to teachers are settled within seven days.

“If check-off dues have not been paid, maybe you have not provided the account because the money is sitting there,” Governor Otti said.

He also ordered the payment of salary arrears involving teachers whose remuneration had been delayed because of verification issues, directing that such payments must be completed by the end of October.

Similarly, the Governor directed the immediate payment of salaries owed to the 4,075 newly recruited teachers who had not yet received their wages, insisting that the outstanding payments must be made before the end of the month. The directives form part of a broader package of measures announced at the celebration to resolve pending financial and administrative issues affecting teachers.

On promotion arrears, particularly the outstanding 2021 and 2022 promotions, Governor Otti directed the Abia State Universal Basic Education Board (ASUBEB) to conclude the process, harmonise it with the Office of the Head of Service and submit the necessary documents to him for approval.

He further gave ASUBEB a deadline of the end of October to ensure the promotion exercise is completed.

One of the major announcements at the event was the Governor’s directive concerning teachers who had been disengaged under the former retirement age of 60 years but have not yet attained the new retirement threshold of 65.

Governor Otti directed the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education to immediately reinstate all affected teachers below the age of 65, including those who may have only a few months remaining before attaining the retirement age.

“I am surprised that that matter is still outstanding. I want to give instruction from this podium, Honourable Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, that anybody who is less than 65, if they have been disengaged, you must return them.

“I have given the approval from here. Please bring all of them back. Even if it is six months before retirement, bring them back. You don’t need further approval,” Gov. Otti stated.

The directive effectively places the responsibility on the relevant ministry to identify affected teachers and facilitate their return to service without requiring additional approval from the Governor. The issue had been among the concerns raised by the NUT leadership at the celebration.

Governor Otti said the various interventions reflected his administration’s commitment to fairness, transparency and consistency in the implementation of government policies, while thanking teachers for their large turnout and continued contribution to the development of the state.

He also highlighted the administration’s efforts to modernise the education sector through the development of Smart Schools across Abia’s 17 Local Government Areas.

According to the Governor, the Smart School initiative is designed to expose Abia children to modern methods of learning and prepare them for a rapidly changing technological environment, while preserving conventional education.

“The whole idea is not to supplant traditional education, but to make the future of education available to our children. They can always have a choice,” Gov. Otti stated.

The Governor further reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to free and compulsory education, while congratulating Abia students who recorded strong performances in the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) examinations.

“We want to congratulate our children who did well in WAEC and NECO. We want to let you know that we are just beginning. You will see more results as time goes on,” the Governor said.

The administration’s education agenda, as outlined at the event, also includes teacher recruitment, professional development, improved school infrastructure, modern learning environments and greater integration of technology into teaching and learning. The Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Elder Goodluck Ubochi, said the reforms were designed to strengthen both the teaching profession and the overall quality of education in the state.

In his welcome address, Ubochi said the theme of the 2026 World Teachers’ Day celebration underscored the indispensable role of teachers in shaping the future of society.

He noted that the state government had continued to focus attention on the education sector through recruitment, professional development, infrastructure upgrades and the development of Smart Schools.

The Commissioner also explained that the increasing integration of technology into education was intended to complement teachers and enhance their effectiveness rather than replace them. He commended teachers across the state for their sacrifices and commitment and assured them that education would remain central to the government’s development agenda.

In their goodwill messages, the member representing Ikwuano/Umuahia Federal Constituency, Hon. Obi Aguocha, and the Labour Party candidate for Abia Central Senatorial District, Senator Darlington Nwokocha, congratulated Abia teachers on the celebration.

They acknowledged the role of teachers in building future generations and commended their participation in the ongoing education reforms, while appreciating their commitment to supporting the development agenda of the state government.

Earlier, the NUT Chairman, Abia State Council, Comrade Madu ChukwuJekwu, commended the Governor for what he described as significant interventions in the education sector.

He particularly cited the recruitment of more than 9,000 teachers, the payment of salary arrears inherited from previous administrations, regular payment of workers’ salaries, free and compulsory education and the allocation of 20 per cent of the annual budget to education.

ChukwuJekwu, however, used the occasion to draw the Governor’s attention to outstanding challenges confronting teachers, expressing confidence that the administration would continue to address their concerns.

The 2026 World Teachers’ Day celebration therefore became more than a ceremonial gathering, as the event produced a series of concrete financial and administrative directives covering teachers’ welfare, salaries, check-off dues, promotions and retirement.

With the ₦1 billion appreciation fund, deadlines for clearing outstanding entitlements and the order for the return of eligible teachers below 65 years, the celebration placed the welfare of Abia’s teaching workforce prominently within the state’s ongoing education reform agenda.

Governor Otti was joined at the event by elected officials, mayors, senior gov ernment appointees and other stakeholders in the education sector.