Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, says his administration has completed 414 road projects, covering 864.12 kilometres across the state in the last three years.

Mr Otti made the disclosure during his May media chat held on Friday at the renovated Okpara Auditorium, Umuahia.

He spent time to reel out the achievements recorded by his administration in infrastructure, health, education, transportation, environment and fiscal management.

He said that the emphasis on roads was part of the efforts to improve infrastructure and stimulate economic growth in the state.

The governor said that an additional 82 road projects, measuring about 212 kilometres, were currently under construction and at different stages of completion.

He added that the government also sustained the installation of streetlights on major roads and established a road maintenance framework through its direct labour agency.

He stated that the improved road infrastructure reduced transportation costs, enhanced business efficiency, accelerated trade and commerce, created jobs and boosted local engineering capacity.

On asset recovery, Mr Otti noted that his administration recovered several government assets allegedly appropriated illegally by public office holders in the last administration.

He added that some cases were already before the courts.

The governor noted that the state government also criminalised unlawful appropriation of government property to safeguard public assets.

Speaking on fiscal reforms, the governor said the state’s debt profile reduced significantly from N191 billion in 2023 to about N60 billion at the end of 2025.

He stated that the state had also improved its ranking in fiscal sustainability, transparency and accountability, moving from the 17th position in 2023 to the fourth in 2025 in the budget fiscal transparency rankings.

“We expect resistance from people, who benefitted from the old system, but we remain committed to transparency and accountability,” he said.

In the health sector, Mr Otti said that the government recruited 821 healthcare professionals within the period, while 771 had already resumed duty and others were at various stages of recruitment.

He explained that at least 193,000 persons enrolled in the Abia State Health Insurance Scheme and were already benefiting from it.

The governor further disclosed that 277 Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) had been retrofitted across the 184 wards in the state, with 200 funded by the state government and 77 supported by the World Bank.

According to him, over 120 PHCs have already been fully functionalised, while others will soon become operational after staffing and equipment installation.

Mr Otti also stated that the government had rehabilitated cottage hospitals at Umuihe and Abayi, both in the Isiala Ngwa South and Osisioma Ngwa LGAs, respectively.

He added that reconstruction works were ongoing at the Okeikpe, Ikwuano, Arochukwu, Ohafia General Hospitals, Abia State University Teaching Hospital and another tertiary health facility in Umunneato and Amachara.

He explained that the renovated General Hospitals in Obingwa and Arochukwu would soon be inaugurated as part of the activities to mark the administration’s third anniversary.

On education, Otti stated that school enrolment had risen sharply, following the introduction of free and compulsory basic education by the state government in January 2025.

He noted that over 300,000 pupils had so far enrolled, with the government targeting 500,000 enrolments to drastically reduce the number of the out-of-school children in the state.

The governor said that the government recruited 5,294 teachers in 2025 and had commenced fresh recruitment for 4,000 additional teachers.

He acknowledged challenges in school infrastructure rehabilitation but assured that efforts were underway to accelerate renovation works, including securing the learning environments.

He said that two smart schools, located at Ubakala and Umuomaiukwu, were ready for inauguration, while more smart schools were expected to be completed in June.

In tertiary education, Mr Otti said that major improvements had been recorded at the Abia State University (ABSU), Ogbonnaya Onu Polytechnic and the Abia State College of Education (Technical), Arochukwu.

He said that accreditation for programmes in the institutions had been restored, while projects, including a 10,000-bed capacity hostel, Faculties of Law and Agriculture, and hostel renovations were ongoing in ABSU.

On land administration, the governor disclosed that 4,707 Certificates-of-Occupancy had been signed, surpassing the total number issued in the state between 1999 and 2023.

He also announced the completion of the new Aba Master Plan, in collaboration with UN-Habitat, and the digitisation of about four million land documents to improve land administration and verification.

Otti also spoke on environmental management, pointing out that his administration had transformed the state “from what was once regarded as one of the dirtiest in the country to one of the cleanest.”

He said that at the inception of his administration, over 13 tonnes of refuse were being evacuated weekly but the story had changed with the reforms and policies introduced in the environment sector.

Mr Otti further said the reforms had facilitated the creation of more than 2,000 jobs through the Abia State Environmental Protection Agency.

On transportation, he said that the Abia Green Shuttle Initiative, launched on Dec. 25, had transported over 226,000 passengers as at April, 2026.

He said that 20 additional electric buses were expected by July, while another 30 buses would arrive later to expand affordable and sustainable transportation across the state.

Mr Otti also disclosed that the Umuahia Multi-Modal Transport System had been completed and put into use, while work on the Aba Terminal was expected to be completed in 2027.

He said that the state government was installing solar-powered charging facilities for the electric buses and had already delivered 70 bus shelters, comprising 30 in Umuahia and 40 in Aba.

In the judiciary sector, the governor said that Avian State Government had embarked on the building of court halls in the 17 LGAs of the state.

He stated that the court halls would be equipped with renewable energy, digital libraries, internet access and water supply.

Mr Otti noted that his administration had sustained prompt payment of salaries and pensions, adding that workers and pensioners now received their entitlements regularly.

He stated that the achievements recorded in the past three years reflected the government’s commitment to infrastructure development, fiscal responsibility, social justice and restoration of public trust in government.

“We can confidently say that we have restored the pride of our people,” the governor said. 

(NAN)