…To be unveiled Dec 16
Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
The Abia State Government says its new 25-year development plan has received legislative backing to prevent policy somersaults and guarantee continuity across successive administrations.
This comes as the 2nd Abia International Trade Fair opens today, December 9, at the Trade Fair Complex in Aba.
Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, disclosed this in Umuahia while briefing newsmen on the outcome of this week’s State Executive Council meeting. He described the development plan as one of the most significant legacy projects of the Otti administration.
He said the blueprint, which will be formally unveiled by Governor Alex Otti on December 16, is designed to end years of inconsistent policy implementation in the state.
“The plan will chart a deliberate and transformative roadmap for Abia State, anchoring our collective vision for economic resilience, infrastructural expansion, social advancement and generational security into the middle of this century,” he said.
According to the Commissioner, the Development Plan is anchored on six strategic pillars: people and resources; growth and stability; sustainable economy; social infrastructure and inclusion; governance and reform; and cross-sector linkages.
Contributing, the Commissioner for Budget and Planning, Mr. Kingsley Anosike, said the legal backing marks a major shift from the previous administration’s 30-year plan, which lacked statutory protection.
He explained that the new legislation ensures that any future review of the plan must undergo the same legislative process, thereby preventing abrupt abandonment or unilateral alteration.
“This is not just a plan; it is a plan formatted for the future,” Anosike said.
“The legislature is putting a seal on it, ensuring that any review must pass through proper legislative procedure.”
He added that the review became necessary because the original 2020 development plan was heavily shaped by the uncertainties of the COVID-19 era and no longer reflected current economic realities.
“The 2020 plan was written at a time when the world was still battling the aftermath of the pandemic. Any serious administration would reassess the framework and realign it to present-day conditions,” he noted.
Anosike said the updated document was produced in collaboration with key international development partners, including the Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta (PIND), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), PACE, and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).
He stressed that the upgraded plan was designed to survive political transitions and address the recurring challenge of incoming administrations discarding the policies of their predecessors.
On the trade fair opening today, the Information Commissioner said all 17 Local Government Areas had secured exhibition stands to showcase products unique to their LGAs. He added that various Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) from within and outside Abia would also participate.
“The Trade Fair promises to be another great event that will further strengthen Aba as the economic and commercial hub of the state,” he said.
