Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, has directed the harmonisation of the 2023 and 2025 Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) for immediate implementation at the Abia State University Teaching Hospital (ABSUTH).
The directive was disclosed in a statement issued on Thursday, August 20, 2026, by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Ukoha Njoku Ukoha, after Governor Otti received a progress report from the ABSUTH Board and Management, led by its Chairman, Dr. Ezinne Kalu, during a working visit to the Governor’s Office.
Ukoha said the Governor reiterated that his administration’s substantial investment in the health sector, including the consistent allocation of 15 per cent of the state’s annual budget to healthcare, was driven by the objective of providing affordable and quality healthcare to Abians rather than making profit.
He added that Otti nevertheless stressed the need to give adequate attention to the welfare and working conditions of healthcare professionals.
According to the statement, the Governor restated his administration’s commitment to repositioning ABSUTH as a world-class tertiary healthcare institution, noting that the first phase of the hospital’s upgrade focused on restoring accreditations lost for more than two years before his administration came into office.
Ukoha also quoted the Governor as disclosing that some ABSUTH facilities previously concessioned to private entities by the previous administration had been recovered following engagements and settlements and returned to the management of the teaching hospital.
Responding to requests contained in the Board’s report, particularly those concerning manpower, staff welfare and power supply, Otti expressed surprise that his earlier approval for the implementation of the 2023 Federal Government CONMESS had not been fully implemented before the structure was reviewed in 2025.
He explained that implementation of the 2023 structure would have placed Abia health workers on a salary structure better than that of their counterparts in the Federal service before the subsequent review.
“When the request came, my understanding is that it was going to be better than the Federal.
“Before I approved it, I asked a question about total cost of employment so that I can crosscheck with my budget… So, when I looked at it, I found that we could accommodate it, I approved it. Going back to what you have is strange… let’s make this job easier for ourselves,” Otti stated.
Ukoha said the Governor consequently directed the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr. Ifeyinwa Uma-Kalu, and the Chief Medical Director of ABSUTH, Prof. Nneka Okoronkwo, to harmonise the 2023 and 2025 CONMESS structures and return to government with recommendations for appropriate action.
“The Permanent Secretary will have to sit down with you because if you say there is a 2025 adjustment and what I approved was 2023, which has not been implemented, that also means that you need to now sit down with her and let us know the total cost of that adjustment.
“If you subtract A from B, then you will get the data, so we can look at our numbers to know where it’s going to come from. Once we know we have clarity on where it’s going to come from, then we’ll get it approved. So, the ball comes back to your court,” the Governor instructed.
On manpower, Ukoha said Otti advised the hospital management to adopt a gradual recruitment strategy, prioritising core medical and other critical professionals while exploring opportunities to redeploy personnel from within the system.
The Governor disclosed that he had approved the recruitment of 861 health workers for other levels of healthcare, excluding ABSUTH, with 670 already recruited within the preceding six months.
He stressed the importance of a competitive welfare package, warning that the state could lose skilled health professionals to jurisdictions offering better conditions if their welfare was not improved.
Otti Tackles ABSUTH Power Challenge
According to Ukoha, the Governor said the availability of Geometric Power should make the challenge of providing sustainable electricity to ABSUTH manageable, given the critical nature of the hospital’s services.
He directed the Commissioner for Power to engage ABSUTH management and work out a sustainable electricity supply arrangement for the institution.
Otti also disclosed that the Niger Delta Power Holding Company had indicated its willingness to work with Geometric Power on an alternative gas supply solution following his engagement with relevant stakeholders.
Governor Moves to Install $1m MRI Machine
Ukoha further quoted the Governor as disclosing that concerted efforts were underway to provide a befitting facility for the installation and operation of the Tesla MRI machine donated to ABSUTH by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and valued at more than $1 million.
“We are working round the clock to get accommodation for it. You may also have seen that a lot of other works are going on in the Teaching Hospital and we will not stop,” Otti said.
The Governor commended the ABSUTH Board for presenting a detailed, data-driven report outlining the institution’s progress, areas requiring attention and the financial implications of its recommendations.
He assured the Board and Management that his administration would continue to support the transformation of ABSUTH to ensure that Abians have access to quality, affordable and world-class tertiary healthcare services.
Earlier, the Board Chairman, Dr. Ezinne Kalu, presented a report titled “Stabilizing Today: Building the Teaching Hospital Abia Deserves.”
Kalu said the report was structured around three areas—“Appreciation, Evidence, and Decision”—and reflected the Board’s findings and recommendations after its assessment of the institution.
She said the government had rebuilt public confidence in ABSUTH, moving the institution from “institutional rescue” to the next phase of “operational consolidation.”
The Chief Medical Director, Prof. Nneka Okoronkwo, thanked the Governor for his intervention in resolving the crisis involving House Officers, Residents and other interns employed by ABSUTH in April.
She listed other approvals granted by the Governor, including payment of interns’ salaries, settlement of salaries owed to three ABSUTH staff for two years, payment of the MDCAN shortfall following the centralisation of payment and approval for staff due for promotion.
In his vote of thanks, the Deputy Board Chairman and Provost, College of Medicine, Prof. Chuks Kamanu, commended Otti for granting the Board’s requests.
Kamanu disclosed that ABSUTH had, for the first time in 16 years, operated without a strike since Otti assumed office three years ago, while recording 100 per cent bed occupancy.
He added that each doctor at the hospital attends to an average of 100 patients weekly.
Kamanu said the progress recorded under Otti’s administration made it in the institution’s best interest for the Governor to be re-elected in 2027.
The Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Emmanuel Meribole, joined the Governor in receiving the ABSUTH Board.
