The Abia State Government has issued an urgent directive to all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to compile comprehensive records of outstanding leave allowances owed to civil servants between 2016 and 2022.
The directive was contained in an internal memorandum dated January 8, 2026, and signed by the Head of Service, Benson Ojeikere. The memo was addressed to all Permanent Secretaries across the state’s MDAs.
According to the memorandum, the action follows a request by the Governor of Abia State, Dr. Alex Otti, who has mandated the preparation of a detailed report covering unpaid leave allowances for the seven years preceding 2023. The report is expected to provide a clear picture of the number of affected civil servants and the total financial obligations incurred during the period under review.
Permanent Secretaries have been instructed to forward the required data from their respective MDAs to the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance. To ensure uniformity and ease of collation, the information is to be presented in a clear tabular format, showing year-by-year breakdowns from 2016 to 2022, the number of civil servants owed, and the total outstanding leave allowance amounts, disaggregated by MDA.
The Head of Service emphasized the urgency of the exercise, directing that all submissions must reach the Ministry of Finance no later than Monday, January 12, 2026. This deadline is aimed at enabling the timely preparation of a consolidated report, which is expected to be submitted to the Office of the Head of Service on or before the close of work on Wednesday, January 14, 2026.
The memorandum also noted that the requested information is readily available within the finance departments of the various MDAs, urging swift compliance to ensure accuracy and completeness.
The directive underscores the Abia State Government’s ongoing efforts to address outstanding welfare issues affecting civil servants and to strengthen transparency and accountability in public service administration.