Governor Alex Otti of Abia has said that his administration prioritised education, infrastructure, and resource management, adding that he is satisfied with the outcomes in his third year in office.

Mr Otti spoke during his monthly media chat held at the Okpara Auditorium, Umuahia, on Friday night.

He expressed dismay over the alleged conversion of some state-owned higher institutions, including the College of Education (Technical), Arochukwu, and Abia State Polytechnic, Aba, to universities by the Okezie Ikpeazu administration.

He said there was no document to buttress the claim that such conversions existed.

He further said that there was no justification for such proliferation of universities, adding that the state would focus on consolidating the existing ones rather than duplicating efforts and dissipating limited resources.

He said: “When you set up three universities, you duplicate vice chancellors, registrars, administrators and infrastructure.

“It is better to have one properly funded university with the right faculties and capacity.

“Some universities in the country have very large populations and still function well.

“We should not be apostles of duplicating universities, when we can strengthen one and maximise its potentials.”

The governor admitted that while progress had been made in education, infrastructure renewal had not reached the level he desired.

He said that the government was still working to ascertain the number of mineral deposits in the state.

He pointed out that mineral resources are on the exclusive legislative list, hence under the Federal Government’s control.

“This is a blessed state, with virtually every local government having something beneath its soil.

“Our role is to ensure that the resources exist and that we are good partners with the Federal Government.

“The process is ongoing, and it does not happen overnight,” he said.

Reacting to reports of the influx of herders in some communities, Mr Otti cautioned against profiling people based on ethnicity.

“There was a report of an influx of herders in a community in Obingwa LGA. Security personnel found cows and people, but discovered the individuals were from Obingwa.

“We must not be quick to profile people. Whether they are herders, Igbo, Hausa, or Yoruba is irrelevant.

“If anyone breaks the law, we will deal with the person according to the law,” the governor said.

He cited the Hausa community in Umunneochi as well as the Yoruba and Hausa communities in Aba as examples of groups that had lived peacefully in Abia for decades.

“Let us deal with issues, not people. Once you start profiling, the next thing is hatred and attacks,” he said.

On infrastructure and public utilities, Mr Otti said the government had distributed over 53 transformers to communities and was expecting 100 more.

He directed the commissioner for public utilities to prioritise Aba and 33 other communities where power had been restored.

He also said some recovered government vehicles in good condition had been deployed for official use, while others would not be auctioned.

On agriculture, he said work was ongoing on the state poultry farm and other projects, with one expected to be inaugurated soon.

He said that such projects were better handled with private sector partners, which required time to mature.

The governor urged residents to participate in the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration, saying the Permanent Voter’s Card was critical for participation in the next election.

He thanked Abia residents for supporting efforts to reposition the Labour Party, saying that the party had hosted its national convention and would begin primaries by next week.

Mr Otti invited residents to participate in the activities line-up to mark his administration’s third anniversary, which would begin on Sunday, May 25, with an interdenominational church service at the Umuahia Central Bus Terminal.

He reiterated his administration’s commitment to security, saying, “Securing our people is the most important part of our job”.

He urged residents to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities to security agencies.

“We have seen the level of insecurity in other parts of the country.

“We must be vigilant to ensure that the peace we enjoy here remains,” the governor said. 

(NAN)