The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abia State, Kelechi Anosike, has promised to recall 15,000 civil servants he alleged were sacked or prematurely retired by the present administration if elected governor in 2027.

Anosike made the promise on Thursday at the NUJ Press Centre, Umuahia, while speaking as a guest at the monthly congress of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Abia State Council.

The PDP candidate alleged that the administration of Governor Alex Otti was not implementing policies that adequately prioritised the welfare of citizens.

He argued that workers should not be sacked or retired before reaching the stipulated retirement age or years of service.

“If the rule says you will work 35 years and you retire, or 60 years; if you don’t attain those milestones, a welfarist government will not retire you. Inform those 15,000 workers that were sacked before time that Kelechi Anosike will recall all of them.

“Some of them are 50 years, some of them are 52 years. They did nothing, no query, no public inquiry, and you sack them and they are now suffering in their homes,” Anosike said.

He also scored the Otti administration low on its utilisation of funds accruing from the removal of fuel subsidy, arguing that the state government had focused heavily on road infrastructure without adequately addressing other immediate needs of the people.

Anosike expressed concern over the level of unemployment in Abia, noting that many youths were relocating to Lagos and Abuja in search of employment opportunities after graduating from tertiary institutions.

He promised to tackle the challenge through industrialisation and other policies targeted at creating opportunities for young people.

The PDP governorship candidate also urged journalists in Abia State to consistently ask critical questions about governance and hold public officials accountable.

“Journalists are the conscience of society, and not megaphones for politicians,” he said.