Governor Alex Otti of Abia has directed the immediate remediation of erosion and flooding sites across the state.

“A lot of incidents of erosion and flooding have been reported in different parts of the state; I think there are 15 reports in recent times,” Mr Otti said during a media chat with journalists in Umuahia, the state capital, on Thursday.

“We have already instructed the commissioner for environment to engage and ensure remediation as quickly as possible,” he added.

On healthcare, Mr Otti said Abia ranked first in affordability and third in healthcare quality among the 36 states in the 2026 Philips Consulting State Performance Index.

He said the state had also begun recruiting an additional 1,000 healthcare professionals, in addition to the 821 previously approved.

According to him, the recruitment became necessary because other countries were poaching Nigerian healthcare professionals.

“You have Canada, India, the U.S., the UK and other parts of the world competing in the same space with us.

“So, sometimes you hire some people today; tomorrow they move to other countries. So, you must keep your hiring process open,” he said.

The governor said 151 of the 200 primary healthcare centres renovated and retrofitted by the state government were functional, leaving 49 to be completed.

He added that the World Bank had retrofitted and rebuilt 77 other primary healthcare centres, bringing the total to 277. He expressed optimism that all the centres would be functionalised before the end of the year.

Mr Otti also said that about 270,000 Abia residents had enrolled in the state health insurance scheme, compared to about 40,000 previously.

“In Abia State University, the process for leadership transition has started, given that the tenure of the acting vice-chancellor would expire in October.

“So, from November 1, a substantive and new vice-chancellor will take over the university,” he said.

Mr Otti said the government had embarked on massive infrastructure upgrades in its tertiary institutions, including Abia State University, Ogbonnaya Onu Polytechnic, Aba and Abia State College of Education (Technical), and Arochukwu.

According to him, the projects include upgrades of libraries, faculty buildings, hostels and fencing.

The governor said staff welfare remained a priority, adding that some institutions had implemented new salary structures while others were in the process of implementing them.

He said implementing the new salary structure could cause a one- or two-day delay in paying some workers’ salaries.

“Everything about pay will be completed by this weekend, and I have given that instruction,” he said.

Mr Otti said his government had successfully engaged 4,074 additional teachers to fill gaps identified after recruiting 5,394 teachers.

He said the recruitment targeted specific locations and subjects with shortages.

On social protection, Mr Otti said the government spent more than N500 million in August supporting vulnerable residents.

He said his administration had also completed payment of outstanding gratuities to retirees from 2001 to 2010 and was preparing to address the remaining years based on available resources.

Mr Otti said that the outstanding gratuity liability inherited by the administration was more than N60 billion.

He also said the state had rolled out the Contributory Pension Scheme for more than 36,000 workers.

On youth empowerment, the governor said 850 TechRise graduates had been added to the 1,200 previously trained, bringing the total to about 2,200 within 18 months.

He said the latest batch of graduates had produced a drone and other inventions, adding that he had directed the commissioner for science, technology and innovation to explore commercialisation of their products.

Mr Otti said 1,086 young people would also graduate from the Abia State Leadership Academy this Saturday.

The governor said Abia had issued more than 965 digital certificates of occupancy within three years, while more than five million land records had been digitised.

On transportation, Mr Otti said that work at the Aba Bus Terminal was being intensified, with plans to inaugurate the facility before the end of the year.

He said 20 electric buses had already been deployed, while 30 additional buses were expected after the state made the required advance payment.

On heritage development, Mr Otti said government officials from the National Park Commission had visited and directed relevant authorities to work with them to establish a national park in the state.

He said, however, that the Abia government had noted objections raised by informed Abia residents about the proposal.

“One thing you will be rest assured is that whatever we do will be in the best interest of the state,” Mr Otti said.

(NAN)