Governor Alex Otti’s administration has approved the monthly payment of stipends ranging from N250,000 to N350,000 to traditional rulers in the state.

The information commissioner, Okey Kanu, announced this on Monday during a press briefing on the outcome of the State Executive Council meeting in Umuahia.

Mr Kanu also mentioned that the members of the Traditional Rulers Council at the state and local government leadership level will now earn an additional N100,000 monthly.

Mr Kanu reiterated the commitment of the Abia government to give pride of place to Abia traditional rulers to promote the state’s cultural heritage.

The commissioner expressed the state’s resolve to rebase its 30-year development plan to reflect the current economic realities. Mr Kanu said the Abia economic team charged with the assignment would soon be inaugurated.

He added that the government had rejigged the State Harmonised  Taskforce to ensure full compliance with its policies on street trading and driving against traffic.

Mr Kanu also mentioned that in the past, the state government had raised concerns about street trading and driving against traffic, which resulted in negative effects.

He said the government had taken serious steps to ensure that the rules would be enforced to stop these practices in Abia.

Regarding education, the commissioner said that the government had commenced the implementation of its out-of-school policy by reopening schools in the state after the Yuletide holidays.

Mr Kanu also said a special task force had been established to ensure compliance with the initiative aimed at eradicating the phenomenon of out-of-school children in Abia.

(NAN)