…Excited about inclusion in Ghana exhibition
Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
Abia State Government has explained that the postponement of school resumption date in the state from September 16 to 23 for the 2024/2025 new academic session, was because of the forthcoming Muslim holiday that coincided with the initial date.
This is as Abia State has been selected by the Federal Government as one of the six states to represent Nigeria at an international medical symposium holding in Ghana.
Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, made the disclosure during a press briefing at the end of the State’s Executive Council meeting in Umuahia.
“The shift in the earlier date is caused by a public holiday that would fall on the 16th of September which is a Muslims’ holiday,” he said.
He also said that Abia First Teachers Training programme which commenced earlier and trained 200 master trainers would recommence on 11th through 24th September 2024.
The training, which targets 1,800 teachers, will hold simultaneously at Aba, Umuahia and Ohafia.
“The training is part of the wider agenda of the state government with regards to the reformation of the education sector in the state and forms part of the protocol for the resumption of schools for the new academic year,” Prince Kanu stated.
He further disclosed that the Governor had granted 90-day moratorium to property owners in Aba whose buildings have no approved plans to get them registered at the old rate.
He said: “If they have to pay for it at the new rate, they would complain but the Governor had directed that they pay at the old rate as a way of encouraging them to go ahead and obtain the certificates.
“This of course, is another instance of the Governor’s compassionate disposition towards implementation of government policies and programmes,” Kanu noted.
On the Ghana exhibition, the Commissioner said that the choice of Abia among Nigeria’s representatives was because of the on-going efforts of the Alex Otti-led administration to transform the health sector.
According to him, the programme which is a biphasic initiative between the World Bank and the Federal Republic of Nigeria is tagged HOPE which stands for Human Capital Opportunity for Prosperity and Equity.
He also said that the “Light up Abia Initiative” is still ongoing and spreading to various areas of the State with 4,346 solar light already installed across 86 locations within the state.
The project is aimed at improving security in the state as well as making the environment attractive.
The Commissioner also announced that the Abia Electricity Bill has scaled through second reading at the State House of Assembly. He expressed the hope that the House members would fast track the passage of the bill upon their resumption from recess.
He stressed that, “The passage of the bill will give further impetus to the ongoing reforms in the power sector in the state.”
Contributing, the Commissioner for Power and Public Utilities, Engr. Ikechukwu Monday, who described the Abia Electricity Bill as an all encompassing law said the government has been working on the law for quite a while.
He explained that the passage of the bill into law would give the state government the opportunity to own power assets and to regulate the sector.
“The content of this law, at the end of the day when it comes into effect, will give us the mandate to establish the Abia State Electricity Regulatory Authority. It will also give us the mandate to establish the Abia State Rural Electrification Agency.”
