Alex Otti Approves New Salary Structure for Abia Workers, Sets Start Date

• Governor Alex Otti has approved a new salary structure for Abia Assembly workers and eligible staff of the Assembly Service Commission.

Abia State Governor Alex Otti has approved the implementation of the Consolidated Legislative Salary Structure (CONLESS) for eligible employees of the Abia State House of Assembly and the House of Assembly Service Commission, effective January 2027.

The approval provides for 25 per cent implementation of the salary structure. The state government said the decision makes Abia the first state in the South-East to adopt the framework for legislative workers.

Ukoha Ukoha, the governor’s chief press secretary, announced the decision in a statement on Wednesday, November 11, 2026. He said Otti granted the approval “following recommendations submitted by the Committee on CONLESS”, which had examined how the salary structure could be implemented for legislative employees in the state.

Who will benefit from the new salary structure?

CONLESS is a pay framework for employees of legislative institutions, including the National Assembly, state Houses of Assembly and their service commissions. In Abia, the approval covers eligible staff of the state Assembly and its Service Commission, including workers who provide administrative, technical and other support to the legislature.

The state government said “the implementation of CONLESS had remained outstanding in several states across the federation despite sustained demands by legislative workers for improved salaries and welfare packages”.

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

What the 25 per cent approval means for workers

The government announced 25 per cent implementation of CONLESS but gave no breakdown of the salary scale or how the adjustment would affect individual pay. The statement also gave no figures for the number of eligible workers or the cost to the state.

Implementation is scheduled to begin in January 2027. Further guidelines are expected to clarify which staff qualify and how the new salary structure will apply to them.