—Restates That Project Ekwueme Is Fully Funded by Abia State Government—
By Promise Uzoma Okoro, Umuahia
Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, has assured that the ongoing construction of Port Harcourt Road, Aba, by Julius Berger Construction Company, will be completed and ready for commissioning before May 29, 2025.
The Governor made this revelation on Friday at the Banquet Hall of Government House, Umuahia, during the March edition of Governor Alex Otti Speaks to Abians, a monthly media chat where he updates the people on his administration’s activities.
“A lot of people have commended the quality of work being done by Julius Berger,” he said.
Governor Otti also reiterated that Project Ekwueme, the 200 Primary Health Centre Project, is fully funded by the Abia State Government, while the World Bank is financing 67 other Primary Health Centre projects, bringing the total to 267.
“It has been another month of activities, specifically referring to the month of February that just passed. In the area of health, which is a priority for this government, we have continued to push the frontier. Before the end of last month, we flagged off Project Ekwueme—200 health centers across the 184 wards. No ward was left out; some even got more than one. Many of the projects have been completed, while several others are nearing completion. This is being funded 100 percent by the state government. There are also 67 health centers being done by the World Bank. By the time all are completed, 267 health centers out of over 900 in the state will be fully functional.”
The Governor further highlighted ongoing upgrades in secondary healthcare, including the Umunneato General Hospital, which is being transformed into a specialist hospital for Abia North.
“We have also started the second phase of upgrading the Abia State Specialist Hospital. You will recall that we worked hard to restore accreditation for our University Teaching Hospital in Aba. We did say that the next step would be fixing the remaining parts of the hospital. I believe last week the contractor took over the job, and before the end of this year, they will hand it over to the state government.”
Speaking on education, Governor Otti said his administration met a deteriorating system, prompting him to declare a state of emergency in the sector.
“On education, another area where we declared an emergency in 2023, we have been working hard because what we met on the ground was very, very poor. We are trying to rescue our schools from decay. We identified 222 very bad cases that needed immediate intervention. The level of work required in those places is enormous.”
“When you have schools overrun by weeds and snakes threatening students, you must act urgently to provide a conducive learning environment.”
Beyond infrastructure, the Governor said his administration launched the Abia First Education Initiative, aimed at upgrading the curriculum to meet global standards.
“We decided to focus on teachers by upscaling their training. One of our first steps was introducing a competitive package. Since we introduced free and compulsory education at the beginning of this year, there has been a surge in student enrollment, which necessitated recruiting more teachers.”
“We opened a portal for interested applicants, and by the time it was shut down, we had close to 30,000 applications. Over 9,000 were shortlisted for the computer-based test. We have since increased the number further, and after the test and interview, successful candidates will be deployed to schools. Afterward, we will reassess and accommodate others.”
“The goal is to create jobs for qualified individuals.”
Governor Otti emphasized that his administration is making steady progress in infrastructure development, citing the recent flag-off of the Omenuko Bridge and Mbala Road in Umunneochi Local Government Area.
“We continued infrastructure work. In February, we flagged off the construction of Omenuko Bridge and Mbala Road in Umunneochi. Next week, we will flag off Owaza Road in Ukwa West. Work has started on Owerrinta Road, and if you follow social media, you will see that work on Port Harcourt Road is almost completed. The quality of work on Ohanku Road is also commendable.”
“I also received feedback from a resident in the area, and the report was positive. We have also begun resurfacing and beautifying Aba-Owerri Road. Before the end of this year, it will wear a new look, and when you drive on it, you will know you have entered a new city. As I was coming here, I saw contractors still working on Library Avenue in Umuahia, which is commendable. It’s a major project aimed at lighting up our city.”
“We will continue our Light Up Abia project in different parts of the state. We have distributed many transformers to various communities to ensure they are not left in darkness due to faulty transformers.”
Governor Otti acknowledged the persistent power supply challenges in Abia and assured residents of ongoing efforts to resolve them.
“In Aba, Aba Power is trying its best. I believe that once their Ogbor Hill substation is completed, they will switch to Aba Power and enjoy 22-hour power supply. At full capacity of 188 megawatts, Aba Power should even be able to supply excess power to Umuahia.”
“We want to achieve stability in power supply because we strongly believe that if we do not get power right, it will be difficult to succeed in other sectors.”
On security, Governor Otti assured Abians that his administration is committed to ensuring their safety.
“In terms of security, we thank God that we are close to achieving relative peace in the state. We believe in being proactive through intelligence gathering. Occasionally, you may hear of sporadic attacks, but we are working hard to curb them.”
“If you cannot sleep with both eyes closed, you cannot do anything.”
The Governor also revealed that investor interest in Abia State is growing, with several diplomatic and business delegations visiting to explore partnership opportunities.
“We are not yet where we want to be, but we are definitely not where we used to be.”
Governor Otti acknowledged concerns over rising transportation fares in Abia and assured that his administration is evaluating the best approach to address the issue.
The Governor stated that the decision to relocate the Law and Agriculture faculties back to Uturu was based on a White Paper released by the Visitation Panel.
“We believe Uturu has the resources, including land, for agriculture. That decision followed due process.”
Governor Otti disclosed that he had directed the Rector of Ogbonnaya Polytechnic (formerly Abia State Polytechnic) to begin verifying the status of disengaged staff and work towards paying them.
He also confirmed that retired Permanent Secretaries from October 2023 have been approved for payment.
Addressing questions about why he is not operating from the Abia State Government House, the Governor emphasized that delivery of good governance is more important than his place of residence.
“The important thing is that I am working. Abians want to see results, not where the Governor is staying.”
“Government House renovation is important, but it is not as urgent as health, education, and infrastructure. However, in due time, we will commence work on it.”
Concluding, Governor Otti thanked Abians for their continued support and assured them that his administration would remain focused on delivering results.
“This is just 21 months into our administration. The next 21 months will be filled with even more activities.”
