Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has approved a new salary structure for health workers across the state’s public health institutions, marking a significant step in his administration’s broader push to overhaul a long-neglected healthcare system.
The new pay regime, known as the Abia State Health Workers Salary Scale (ASHWOSS), will come into effect on May 1, 2025, and is benchmarked against the federal salary structure for healthcare professionals. It applies to doctors, nurses, pharmacists, physiotherapists, optometrists, radiographers, and medical laboratory scientists working in the state’s hospitals and primary health centers.
Announcing the development in a statement on Wednesday in Umuahia, the Abia State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Ogbonnaya Uche, said that the move was aimed at addressing decades of poor remuneration, wage disparities, and the resulting exodus of skilled personnel from the state health system.
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“With effect from May 1, 2025, health workers in Abia will begin to receive the same remuneration as their counterparts in federal health institutions,” Uche said. “This brings to an end years of agitation and discontent among medical professionals who have had to work under difficult conditions with inadequate compensation.”
A Broader Plan to Revive Public Health
The introduction of ASHWOSS is part of Governor Otti’s larger campaign to rebuild the state’s crumbling healthcare infrastructure, improve healthcare delivery, and restore public confidence in government-run hospitals.
Since taking office in 2023, Otti has made health sector reform one of his administration’s focal points. One of his earliest actions was to embark on the rehabilitation and equipping of general hospitals and primary health centers across the state — many of which had fallen into disrepair under previous administrations. Several facilities, including the Amachara Specialist Hospital and Aba General Hospital, have undergone significant refurbishment, with others in Umuahia, Arochukwu, and Isuikwuato in various stages of renovation.
In addition to rebuilding physical infrastructure, the Otti administration has prioritized staff welfare and professional development. Health workers in Abia have historically grappled with prolonged salary arrears, poor working conditions, and lack of essential medical tools — factors that contributed to chronic understaffing and patient neglect in government health institutions.
771 Health Workers to Be Recruited Across Disciplines
As part of efforts to fill longstanding vacancies and expand service capacity, the government has approved the recruitment of 771 new health workers into the public health system. According to Uche, the recruitment covers a wide range of professionals including doctors, nurses, pharmacists, physiotherapists, radiographers, and laboratory scientists.
He said the number was based on a recent needs assessment conducted across various hospitals and health agencies.
“Governor Otti has also approved the release of funds for the salaries of the new recruits. The goal is to ensure that no facility is left critically short of personnel,” the commissioner said.
To complement the general workforce expansion, the government is also targeting the recruitment of specialists and consultants in high-demand medical fields where services are either nonexistent or extremely limited. These include laparoscopic and minimally invasive surgery, cardiac and neurosurgery, anesthesiology, transplant and robotic surgery, neonatology, oncology, and interventional radiology.
Other specialties to be considered on a case-by-case basis include nephrology, cardiology, ophthalmology, plastic surgery, orthopedics, and neurology.
To attract and retain these specialists, Uche said the governor has directed the Ministry of Health to negotiate a special emolument package separate from the general salary scale. The aim is to reverse the brain drain that has left many state facilities incapable of handling complex or emergency medical cases.
The approval of ASHWOSS follows the governor’s decision to allocate 15% of the state’s 2025 budget to health, matching the Abuja Declaration target that successive governments have failed to meet. The funds, according to officials, are being channeled into infrastructure, staffing, procurement of equipment, and capacity building.
“This administration is not paying lip service to health reform. We’re tackling the problems from the root — infrastructure, manpower, equipment, and fair wages,” Uche said.
A Legacy of Neglect and a Chance for Renewal
Under previous administrations, especially the immediate past government led by Okezie Ikpeazu, the health sector in Abia State became synonymous with decay. Health workers often went for months without pay, with some owed as much as 12 to 14 months in salary arrears. Strikes became common, while patients had little choice but to turn to private hospitals or travel out of the state for treatment.
Otti has been vocal about his commitment to reverse that trajectory. His administration began clearing inherited salary and pension arrears shortly after taking office, and with ASHWOSS now in place, there are growing signs that his promise to prioritize healthcare may be more than just political rhetoric.