Otti Tasks Appointees on Commitment to New Abia Agenda

Abia State Governor Alex Otti, has harped on the need for his cabinet members to commit themselves to the new Abia agenda in the discharge of their respective duties.

The Governor gave the charge on Saturday, while declaring open the two-day First Quarter Retreat for political appointees at the International Conference Centre, Ogurube – Umuahia.

Otti said although remarkable improvements have been seen in the people’s social and economic experiences under his administration, there is need to stay focused and not to be ignorant of the political occurrences in the State.

He disclosed that 2026 would be a very busy year for members of his cabinet, insisting no amount of noise should take their attention away from the anticipated developments coming up in the State.

“We have to stay focused, but again, it would equally amount to self-deceit to be ignorant or inattentive to the political occurrences around us, Otti said.

“Evidently, this will be a very busy year for all of us. So, it is important that we prepare ourselves for the journey ahead.

“There will be, however, a lot of inadvertence, but no amount of noise, whatever the decibel, can be sufficient enough to take our attention away from the developments we want to see in our educational institutions, health ecosystems, and in the other critical sectors where we are planning to commit sums in excess of one trillion naira in the current fiscal year.

“The future of Abia must be prioritised over every other consideration, So, whatever would derail us from the goals that have been collectively agreed must be cast aside,” Gov. Otti stated.

The Governor stressed the need for all appointees to work together as a team noting the they can either succeed or fail together.

“The value of your office is not determined by a share of the budgetary provision, but by how the outputs add to the attainment of our overarching development, he said.

“We should therefore be able to see the broader picture at all times, as I have explained this on numerous occasions. It is not for nothing that the infrastructural development projects kicked off from the most economically viable locations.

“We were deliberate in restarting the economy after years of dormancy, as you will agree with me. The impact of these investments are beginning to trickle in, as the average landlord, industrialist, and artisan in Aba, Umuahia, can testify.

“It is therefore important that we develop a holistic way of evaluating the reach of the investments happening through our various MDAs to be able to make projections that drive policy responses,” Gov. Otti stated.

Earlier in his welcome address, the Secretary to the State Government, Dr Emmanuel Meribeole said that the retreat came at a critical moment, when there is need for collective task of rebuilding and repositioning Abia for sustainable growth.

The SSG noted that the governor has since assuming office, made deliberate reform agenda in various sectors of the economy which is now visible but maintained that, such progresses should not become a comfort zone, hence, the need for the retreat.

Dr Meribeole said that the theme of the retreat “Accelerating Progress: Unlocking New Opportunities” challenges each one to ask salient questions, .

According to him, the retreat provides opportunity for participants to engage in honest introspection, strategic alignment and performance evaluation.

“It is also a moment to strengthen teamwork across Ministries, Departments and Agencies,” Said the SSG.

“Governance succeeds not in silos but through coordination. I encourage all participants to engage actively in the discussions and share experiences openly, challenge assumptions constructively, and embrace new ideas that will strengthen service delivery.”