Otti Directs Harmonisation of 2023, 2025 CONMESS for ABSUTH

Abia State Governor, 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).

Otti gave the directive on Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026, when he received a progress report from the ABSUTH Board and Management, led by its Chairman, Dr Ezinne Kalu, at the Governor’s Office in Umuahia.

The governor said the directive followed the Board’s request for improved staff welfare and clarification on the implementation of the 2023 CONMESS, which he had earlier approved.

He directed the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr Ifeyinwa Uma-Kalu, and the Chief Medical Director of ABSUTH, Prof. Nneka Okoronkwo, to harmonise the two salary structures and submit recommendations to the government.

“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 said.

He added that the government would assess the financial implications of the harmonised structure before taking a final decision.

“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,” he said.

Otti said the welfare and working conditions of healthcare professionals remained important to his administration, noting that the state’s investment in healthcare was aimed at providing affordable and quality services to residents.

He said the government’s allocation of 15 per cent of the annual state budget to healthcare reflected its commitment to the sector.

The governor reiterated his administration’s plan to reposition ABSUTH as a world-class tertiary healthcare institution, saying the first phase of the upgrade focused on restoring accreditations lost before his administration assumed office.

He also disclosed that some ABSUTH facilities previously concessioned to private entities by the former administration had been recovered following engagements and settlements, and returned to the hospital management.

On manpower, Otti directed the management to adopt a gradual recruitment approach, prioritising core medical and other critical professionals.

He said the government had approved the recruitment of 861 health workers for other levels of healthcare, excluding ABSUTH, adding that 670 had been recruited in the past six months and the exercise was ongoing.

Otti stressed the need for a competitive welfare package to retain health professionals, warning that the state could lose personnel to jurisdictions offering better conditions.

On electricity supply, the governor directed the Commissioner for Power to engage ABSUTH management and work out a sustainable arrangement, noting that the availability of Geometric Power should make the challenge manageable.

He 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.

On the Tesla MRI machine donated to ABSUTH by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, valued at more than one million dollars, Otti said efforts were ongoing to provide an appropriate facility for its installation and operation.

“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,” he said.

Earlier, Kalu presented a report titled “Stabilizing Today: Building the Teaching Hospital Abia Deserves,” which she said focused on appreciation, evidence and decisions arising from the Board’s fact-finding exercise.

She said the government had rebuilt public confidence in ABSUTH, moving the institution from what she described as “institutional rescue” to “operational consolidation.”

The Chief Medical Director, Okoronkwo, thanked the governor for interventions that resolved the crisis involving house officers, residents and other interns employed by the hospital in April.

She listed the interventions as approval for payment of interns’ salaries, payment of three ABSUTH staff owed for two years, payment of the MDCAN shortfall following 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, said ABSUTH had, for the first time in 16 years, operated without a strike since Otti assumed office three years ago.

Kamanu also said the hospital currently had 100 per cent bed occupancy, while each doctor attended to an average of 100 patients weekly.

He expressed support for Otti’s re-election in 2027.

Otti commended the Board for presenting what he described as a detailed, data-driven report, saying the information would assist government in making informed decisions.

He assured the Board and management of continued government support for the transformation of ABSUTH and improved access to quality and affordable tertiary healthcare in Abia.

The Secretary to the State Government, Dr Emmanuel Meribole, joined the governor in receiving the ABSUTH delegation.