-Says 2027 is in the Hands of God-
The Executive Governor of Abia State Dr Alex Otti have revealed that his Administration has fixed 108 roads in the state through direct Labour under the Supervision of the Abia State Ministry of Works.
The Governor appreciated the Staff of the Abia State Ministry of Works for their dedication to duty as he said that it would be difficult to differentiate between a road fixed through direct Labour and the one Constructed using major Construction companies.
Speaking in Umuahia on Friday during the Monthly Media Chat with Journalists tagged ‘Governor Alex Otti Speaks to Abians’, the Governor reiterated his administration’s commitment to change the narrative.
“We have not rested on our oars, on the last count last week,we have fixed 108 Roads under the Direct Labour by the Ministry of Works, we are very proud of our brothers and Sisters who populate that Ministry over what they are doing”
“Some of the roads you may have seen was done under Direct Labour by the Ministry, I want to use this Opportunity to thank Them”
“For the roads under Contract, they are being delivered on time with detailed specifications contained in their contract”
“We flagged off the Ohafia- Arochukwu Road which is about 44.3 Kilometers that passes Ohafia to Arochukwu and ends at the Boundary of Akwa Ibom State and the good thing is that Akwa Ibom have done their own portion of the road, so when the road is completed, it will connect back to the 66.4Kilometers Ohafia to Umuahia Road”
On Health Care Delivery, Governor Otti stated that his administration has opened an eye center at the General Hospital Amachara in Umuahia which has attended to over 600 patients so far.
“Am happy to report that the General Hospital Amachara has received another boost, about three or four days ago, the eye centre was opened and about 600 patients were attended to, I call on our people who are in the vicinity to go and have their eyes fixed”
“We have started with the phase two of the Abia State University Teaching Hospital, am aware that the Hospital had it accreditation restored in December 2023 after our massive attack on the Health sector, now we are going for the Phase two upgrade of the Hospital”
“I have given the Ministry of Health marching order to deliver the 200 Hospitals in a 100 days, the whole ideal is that no matter where you are or come from, you will be attended to if you have a primary health care need”
Governor Otti restated his commitment to improve the Education sector by training of teachers to meet global standards.
“Education is also another area we are working very hard to upgrade the schools, we started the program of training teachers as we identified about 2000 of them, we got a consultant reputed in that area, 200 of them have been trained since last week, the remaining 1800 of them, will complete their training soon”
“The ideal is that the 2000 of them who are now being trained will be training others”
“I visited their classrooms the other day and I was happy with the quality of teachers and am proud of what they are doing, another area is looking at the curriculum of what will make our pupils to compete with those from other parts of the World because the world is now a global village, it is important that they are properly taught “
The Governor said his administration is currently evaluating companies that will transform waste to Wealth in the state.
Responding to a question about mass Retrenchment of Workers, the Governor dismissed the Insinuation and said his administration has no plan to retrench workers.
“I don’t know where that is coming from, there is nothing like that, there is nothing in the pipeline, we don’t have any such plans “
“People who are used to not going to work, we told them that our administration doesn’t tolerate such”
Governor Otti declared that he is not worried about 2027 as the Future is in the Hand of God.
He said there is no need responding to the video clip by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Rt Hon Benjamin Kalu who had said Governor Otto will be the last Labour Party Governor to Govern Abia State.
“I don’t want to respond to it for the simple reason that it will be foolhardy for me to be talking about what will happen in 2027, my belief is that power belongs to God and he gives it to who he wishes, I am actually not competent to sit here say what will happen by that time”
“I know a man who was boasting that he will be something in 2023 but Covid came and took him in 2020, I do not subscribe to playing God”
On the issue of workers who were disengaged under the administration of Former Governor Senator Theodore Orji , Governor Otti said he has directed his team to look into the possible ways to assist those who were affected by that decision.
“I do know that a few of them came to me with my officials in the last one week and I said they should look into their matter”
“I believe that people should not be judged or treated fairly or unfairly because of where they come from, once you live in Abia, you are from Abia, this is a Government that do not discriminate”
“One of our House of Assembly member who come from Anambra State , we gave him ticket in 2023, he contested and won the election, one of our Permanent Secretaries is from Edo State and we have a Mayor who is not from here”
“Anyone who was disengaged because of where they come from, we are looking at them”
Governor Otti said his intervention by hosting an expanded meeting of Labour Party Stakeholders was to bring a lasting solution to the Party.
“If you follow the events, you would also notice that majority of Labour Party members are happy with the Intervention we make here, they will always be one or to persons who will not be happy with what we are doing in the Labour Party”
“I believe that Peace will return to the Party”He said.
