…Moves to digitalise Abia economy
Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
Governor Alex Otti has said that meeting the infrastructural deficit of Abia State is his major preoccupation at the moment.
He also vowed to make education, health agriculture, security and others focus of his second year in office.
The Governor who stated this during a media parley Friday night, hinted of his plans to digitalise the economy of the state.
Otti said that the project would be heralded by the broadband technology which would provide access to Internet in the state.
He announced that in the days ahead, he would be appointing a Chief Information Technologist, to prepare the state for digital transformation.
According to him, that will be heralded by the broadband technology that the state is already in its final stages of discussion.
“We are preparing our state for the next century. Wherever you are, you can have access to data. We are preparing our state for the next century.”
While noting that access is key to a thriving economy, governor Otti assured that his infrastructural revolution will be extended to all the nooks and crannies of the 17 LGAS in the next few months.
Otti said that besides 90 roads being rehabilitated through direct labour by the State Ministry of Works, 16 roads had already been reconstructed and commissioned by his administration.
He also said another 16 new roads representing 165 Kilometers “are under construction and reconstruction across the three Senatorial zones of the state.”
On the health sector, the Governor said all General Hospitals in the state “are being retrofitted while that of primary healthcare centres are being done in batches.”
Otti said the first batch of 300 beneficiaries drawn from various wards of the state had been sent to the CSS Farms Nasarawa state to be trained on various agricultural value chains.
He said that the Government is partnering organisations and companies in areas of palm oil, cocoa, rice and other agricultural value chains.
The governor, who restated his avowed commitment to bringing to account anyone remotely or directly involved in the recent killing of soldiers at the Obikabia Junction few weeks ago said his government is taking the issue of security seriously and added that Operation Crush is more poised to deal decisively with criminal elements in the state.
Reacting to the issue of long over due staff promotions, conversion and confirmation, Otti said he had directed the Chairman Civil Service Commission and Head of Service to look into the matter with a view to giving the matter the needed attention.
“At the last EXCO meeting, I had instructed the Chairman of the Civil Service Commission and the Head of Service to sit down and look at promotions and the like and from report that I got I think the last time promotions were done was in 2021 so that throws up quite some challenges. At least, let’s look at it and see what we can do. So, we are not ignoring it. But you must also admit that a lot of things went wrong just like every other sector,” Gov. Otti stated.
He added that his government is prioritising the welfare of workers, hence he has been regular in salary payment and pensions, assuring that arrears of leave allowances would be paid.
“My understanding of leave allowances is that they are due when you go on leave. We don’t have any problem paying people who are going on leave. If there are arrears that have not been paid.”
On the suspension of some of his appointees, Gov. Otti said that “there is nothing wrong in suspending someone holding a position when serious allegations are made against the appointee.”
He said that a committee had been set up to investigate the allegations against his appointees saying that, “by the time the committee completes its work, their report will be turned in and decision will be taken.”
Governor Alex Otti also revealed that a committee has been set up to rid the streets of the state of the mentally challenged individuals.
