Presidency Applauds Otti’s Impressive Performance in Abia

The Renewed Hope Media Team on tour of projects in Abia has expressed satisfaction with the level of transformation under Governor Alex Otti’s administration in Abia State over the last three years.

The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Public Communication, Mr. Sunday Dare made his feelings known in an interview after the tour by the Team, on Wednesday in Umuahia.

Mr. Dare commended the governor for what he described as advancement in infrastructure, noting that Abia state was witnessing a great transformation that was lacking in the past years.

“It is really impressive to see that a state like Abia is experiencing this kind of transformation. From road construction, transportation, of course, housing and other facilities under the span of three years under Dr. Alex Otti.

“Even the electrification project that we saw, 33 kilometres on the Ohafia stretch, the governor is touching on the critical infrastructure necessary for a state like Abia.

“We know that in the past years, Abia has not recognised the kind of advancement needed in terms of infrastructure. Now you have a governor who is touching on the basis, who is working with stakeholders, who though in his Labour Party, is also working with the federal government,” Dare stated.

Mr. Dare appreciated the synergy between Abia state Governor and the federal government, noting that, political party differences make no meaning when it comes to governance.

“So when it comes to governance, it’s about collaboration. When it comes to the development of your people, it doesn’t essentially have to wear party colours. Because when you play too much party politics, development suffers and your people suffer.

“That’s what we’ve seen. The collaboration between the state and the federal government is impressive. In terms of rate, I said it’s impressive.”

Earlier while conducting the team round the various project sites, the Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu and the Commissioner for Works, Otumchere Oti, said that the 67-kilometre Umuahia-Uzuakoli-Akara-Alayi- Abiriba – Ohafia road which was hitherto impassable, was entirely funded and constructed by the state government.

They informed that the contraction of the road has significantly improved connectivity across more LGAs in Abia Central and North senatorial zones.

The Commissioners said that the road links numerous agrarian communities to the state capital and is installed with streetlights just as other roads the administration is doing.

Speaking also, the Commissioner for Power and Public Utilities, Mr. Ikechukwu Monday, disclosed that the state government was on the verge of restoring electricity to Ohafia communities that had been without power for eight years due to activities of vandals.

According to him, the state government has completed a 20-kilometre, 33KV power line from Ihechiowa in Arochukwu to Ebem, Ohafia, terminating at a newly installed 7.5MVA injection substation and is currently finishing the last-mile installations to restore power supply to the whole of Local Government Area.

The Commissioner also revealed that the state government is almost finalising a transaction to acquire a majority stake in the Abia operations of the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC), which he said would enable the government extend stable electricity to the remaining 8 local government areas not covered by Geometric Power, Aba.

On housing, the Commissioner for Lands, Mr Chaka Chukwumerije, noted that the Renewed Hope Housing Estate in Umuahia was recently flagged-off and described it as one of the key federal interventions aimed at addressing housing needs in the state.

Contributing, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Mr Ferdinand Ekeoma, said that the fixed roads were left in a very bad shape for almost two decades before the intervention of Governor Alex Otti.

Some of the projects inspected included: the 3 sections 67-kilometres Umuahia-Uzuakoli-Akara-Alayi- Abiriba – Ohafia Road, the four-lane Tower -Onuimo renamed after Dr Uma Ukpai, the newly constructed Omenuko Bridge, all being federal government projects executed by the Otti led administration.

Others are the state owned 30-kilometres Ozuabam-Ndiokereke-Amuvi Arochukwu Road, the newly flagged off Renewed Hope Housing Estate in Umuahia, the Renewed Hope Housing Estate at Onu-Inyang – Bende and recently commissioned Nnenna Oti Bus Terminal Umuahia, among others.