What we’re doing to bring development to Abia – Gov Otti

Governor Alex Otti of Abia State says his administration has completed the reconstruction of 90 roads that were at different stages of dilapidation, when he assumed office.

Mr Otti said this, while speaking with reporters, Friday night, at the Government House, Umuahia.

He said: “All the 90 roads were done by our Ministry of Works by direct labour, and some of them fit into our Zero Pothole Policy.

“We have reconstructed and rebuilt and inaugurated 16 roads.

“We have also worked on another 16 roads at the moment and the total length of the 16 roads is about 165 kilometers running through the different senatorial districts of the state.”

The governor said that the Abia State Government had awarded the “long abandoned and very difficult Ohanku Road”.

He described the road as very strategic, leading to various settlements in Aba.

He further said that the rigid pavement technology would be applied in fixing the road.

“For those who have visited the area, I am sure that you would confirm that work has started on the road, as well as a few other roads in Aba.

“We are very strategic about roads because we believe very strongly that access is key to a thriving economy.

“We have a plan to touch every road in every local government area in the next 12 months.

“At the moment, we are compiling a list of the strategic roads that we will take on as we go into our second year,” he said.

Mr Otti said that his administration was planning to secure virement from the 2024 budget for road construction, because “it appears we are running faster than our budget on roads”.

Virement, a financial term, means moving money from some items in a budget to another item.

Mr Otti said that this would enable the government to have enough money to work on more roads and give access to different communities in the state.

Healthcare

On healthcare, he expressed the determination of the government to evolve programmes and policies that would transform the health sector of the state.

Mr Otti said the government had started the rehabilitation of general hospitals across the state.

He also said that the government was determined to rehabilitate the primary healthcare centres, and that the rehabilitation would be in batches in order to make the centres operational.

“Of course, the state University Teaching Hospital is on course, a lot of work needs to be done both in terms of infrastructure and the skills.

“I understand that 19 disciplines or areas have already received accreditation, we will continue to build on that,” he said.

The governor also spoke about what the government was doing on education, particularly the dilapidation of the public schools.

He said that his administration is remodelling public schools in its resolve to improve educational standards to provide a conducive learning environment.

“We are not discouraged. We are just taking them in phases.

“We are not complaining, but it is important that we remind ourselves where we are coming from and know that Rome was not built in a day.

“The most important thing is that we are moving in the right direction,” he said.

Also on agriculture, Mr Otti said that the government had been paying a lot of attention to agriculture because of its desire to achieve food security in the state.

300 people sent to Nasarawa for agricultural training

He said: “In the last one week, we had dispatched 300 persons of Abia origin to Nasarawa to do sophisticated mechanised agricultural training by CSS Farms, one of the leading farms in the country

“These 300 people were drawn from the 124 political wards, as the whole idea is that they would be able to train others as they come back.

“So, all these are geared toward achieving food security.”

Mr Otti also said that the government was desirous to partner reputable organisations to boost the production of palm oil, rubber, cocoa, plantain and rice, amongst others.

Security challenges

On security, he said that the government takes security seriously and remains committed to ensuring the security of lives and property in the state.

He expressed regrets over the killing of five soldiers in Aba on 30 May, describing the incident as dastardly and a breach in security.

He gave assurance that the government would leave no stone unturned to ensure that everyone connected with the killing was apprehended.

He said that the government had issued enough warnings and now resolved more than ever before to deal decisively with hoodlums.

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Mr Otti said that his administration has prioritised workers’ welfare, hence salaries were now paid on the 28th of every month.

According to him, other pending issues inherited from the previous administration, such as promotion and arrears of leave allowances, were being looked into.

(NAN)