The Abia State Government has begun the process of appointing a substantive Vice Chancellor for Abia State University, Uturu.
Governor Alex Otti disclosed this during his monthly media chat in Umuahia on Thursday.
The new VC is expected to assume office in November 2026.
The governor said the tenure of the acting Vice Chancellor will elapse in October.
“From first November, a substantive and new vice-chancellor would take over. Because of that, I think the advertisements have gone out, and the recruitment process has started,” Otti stated.
The governor also announced that provisions have been made for payment of pensions to the next of kin of deceased pensioners.
He said the state recently started defraying outstanding gratuity for retirees between 2001 and 2010.
“We are getting ready to deal with the remaining years from 2011 all the way to the present, based on available resources,” he added.
His administration has undertaken to clear gratuities amounting to over N60 billion gradually.
The state government introduced a contributory pension scheme for over 36,000 workers last month.
“What that means is that the issue of pensions and even gratuity will become seamless,” Otti explained.
The governor also announced that the state Citizens’ Engagement Centre will soon be officially opened.
In education, his administration is reconstituting the Secondary Education Management Board.
The government has successfully engaged 4,074 new teachers to fill gaps in the sector.
On healthcare, Otti reaffirmed his government’s focus on quality and affordable healthcare services.
Abia was recently rated number one in healthcare affordability and third in healthcare quality in the 2026 Phillips Consulting State Performance Index.
Digital Operations Manager at The Students Forum Nigeria.
