Imo State governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, has said that all the political appointees serving in his administration including the new special advisers and commissioners-designate will have their salaries reduced by 20 per cent.
Okorocha made this known at the Government House, Owerri, yesterday, while addressing newsmen on some crucial issues affecting the state and his stewardship in the past four years.
As stated by him, the current economic challenge in the country has made it absolutely inevitable for serious adjustments for the state to remain afloat.
Owelle Okorocha stressed that some workers in the state, particularly those in the parastatals, who are found guilty of any form of corruption would be placed on suspension from next year.
Consequently, he explained that the government had decided to set up a committee to look into all categories of workers in the state and that at the end of the exercise, those found wanting would be laid off and have their entitlements paid.
On the issue of the judiciary in the state, the governor said that the state government has agreed with magistrates to be paying them their salaries just like their counterparts in the South East as against the jumbo salaries they were receiving previously.
The governor said the state government has lost all judiciary cases involving it and individuals or groups and expressed surprise at the development.
Okorocha revealed that government has set aside N11billion for the payment of salary arrears of health workers, while N5.5billion has been mapped out for the payment of pensioners in the state.