Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has directed the immediate harmonisation of the 2023 and 2025 Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) for medical staff at the Abia State University Teaching Hospital, Aba.
Otti gave the directive on Thursday after receiving a progress report from the Board and Management of ABSUTH during a working visit to the Governor’s Office.
The governor directed the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Dr Ifeyinwa Uma-Kalu, and the Chief Medical Director of ABSUTH, Prof. Nneka Okoronkwo, to work together on the harmonisation and submit their recommendations for appropriate action.
Otti Focuses on Health Workers’ Welfare
Otti said the welfare and working conditions of healthcare professionals remained a priority for his administration.
He explained that the state’s investment in healthcare, including the allocation of 15 per cent of its annual budget to the sector, was aimed at improving access to quality healthcare for residents rather than generating profit.
The governor expressed concern that the 2023 CONMESS structure he had previously approved was not fully implemented before the salary structure was reviewed in 2025.
He noted that the earlier implementation would have placed Abia health workers on a salary scale above their federal counterparts before the subsequent review.
ABSUTH Workers to Benefit
The governor also approved several measures concerning staff welfare at ABSUTH, including the payment of salaries owed to interns, settlement of salary arrears owed to three workers for two years, payment of the MDCAN shortfall following the centralisation of salary payments and approvals for workers due for promotion.
Otti also reiterated his administration’s plan to transform ABSUTH into a world-class tertiary healthcare institution.
According to him, the first phase of the hospital’s upgrade focused on restoring accreditations that had been lost before his administration came into office.
He further disclosed that some ABSUTH facilities previously concessioned to private operators by the previous administration had been recovered and returned to the hospital’s management.
The latest directive is expected to provide a clearer salary framework for medical personnel at ABSUTH while addressing concerns over remuneration and staff retention.
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