Otti Approves 25% Salary Increase for Abia Assembly Workers, First in South-East

Abia State Governor Alex Otti has approved the implementation of the Consolidated Legislative Salary Structure for eligible workers of the Abia State House of Assembly and the House of Assembly Service Commission, with a 25 per cent salary increase effective January 2027.

The approval makes Abia the first state in the South-East to adopt the salary structure for parliamentary workers, ValidViewNetwork reports .

THE APPROVAL

The approval was announced in a statement issued on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Ukoha Ukoha .

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According to the statement, Otti granted the approval “following recommendations submitted by the Committee on CONLESS,” which had examined issues surrounding the implementation of the salary structure for legislative employees .

CONLESS is a specialised remuneration framework applicable to workers in legislative institutions, including the National Assembly, state Houses of Assembly and their respective service commissions.

Its implementation has remained outstanding in several states despite sustained demands by legislative workers for improved salaries and welfare packages .

THE CONTEXT

The approval comes as the Otti administration continues to pursue reforms in the state’s public service, with particular emphasis on workers’ welfare, institutional efficiency and improved service delivery.

The government described the approval as “another demonstration of Governor Otti’s commitment to workers’ welfare, fairness and the strengthening of democratic institutions in Abia State” .

Although the government announced a 25 per cent CONLESS approval, the statement did not provide a detailed breakdown of the new salary scale, the number of beneficiaries or the financial implications for the state .

WHY IT MATTERS

For years, legislative workers across Nigeria have demanded the implementation of CONLESS, arguing that their remuneration should reflect the specialised nature of their work.

Many states have ignored those demands.

Otti’s decision to implement the structure, and to do so with a 25 per cent increase, is a signal that his administration is willing to address the grievances of workers.

It is also a political statement: in a region where workers’ welfare has often been neglected, Abia is leading by example.

The implementation begins in January 2027. The workers will be watching. And other states in the South-East may soon be asked why they have not followed suit. ValidViewNetwork reports.