Gov. Alex Otti of Abia says his administration has reached the halfway mark of its tenure and pledged to intensify development efforts in the remaining two years.

Mr Otti said this on Saturday during a church service at the Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Unity Chapel, Government House, Umuahia.

He expressed gratitude to God for sustaining his administration through its first two years in office.

He also acknowledged that challenges were inevitable but gave assurance that his administration would continue to prioritise pressing needs.

“Everything is important, but some things are more urgent than others, and the government resolved to begin with issues that concern the people’s welfare,” he said.

Mr Otti said that the decisions of the state government were guided by a scale of preference, with focus placed on salaries, healthcare, education, and livelihoods over infrastructure renovations.

He listed completed interventions in over 200 Primary Healthcare Centres(PHCs), while expressing the desire of the government to ensure that the entire 948 PHCs in the state received interventions.

He also listed ongoing rehabilitation projects at the Government House to include the Michael Okpara Auditorium, office of the secretary to the state government and Government House Clinic.

The governor also said that plans were underway to build a befitting Governor’s Office and Governor’s Lodge, adding that the Unity Chapel would receive attention soon.

He urged Abia residents to keep their faith in God and remain committed to righteous living and service to others.

He thanked the congregation for their prayers and support, pointing out that leaders require the backing of the people to succeed.

In a sermon, entitled, “Facing the Giants”, the preacher, Ezekwem Odigbo, urged the worshippers to rely solely on God to enable them to conquer their challenges.

Mr Odigbo, who took his sermon from a Bible story about the battle between the Israelites and Philistines in 1 Samuel 17:32-37, said that David was able to defeat Goliath because he remembered the living God.

He said: “I don’t know the giant you are facing, whether it is economic hardship, sickness, disappointment, just name it, remember God is there for you.

“Our prayer is that God will help us face our giants squarely and indeed victory will be ours.”

The service was marked by worship, thanksgiving, and prayers.

(NAN)