The Abia State Government on Monday, 9 December, held her regular weekly Executive Council meeting presided over by the Governor Alex Otti, where various strategic decisions were taken.
Briefing journalists on the outcome of the meeting, the Commissioner for Information, Okey Kanu informed the press that Mr Otti will on 16 December unveil the Abia State 25-year development plan, a strategic future-proof document that will articulate and chart a deliberate and transformative roadmap for the state.
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According to a statement issued on Tuesday by Ferdinand Ekeoma, the special adviser on media and publicity, the development plan is anchored on a collective vision for economic resilience, infrastructural expansion, social advancement and generational security.
“The development plan is also structured to rest on six key pillars, including people and resources, growth and stability, sustainable economy, social infrastructure and inclusion, Governance and reform and cross -sector linkages,” Mr Kanu stated.
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Upon implementation, the development plan would help build a dynamic and inclusive economy by unlocking local potentials and attracting global investment across key sectors in the state.
In line with the developmental vision of Governor Otti, the plan seeks a future of modern climate -resilient infrastructure, including clean energy, digital connectivity and sustainable urban planning, which will be governed by strong institutions that promote transparency, citizens’ participation, peace, security and inclusive development.
Backed by legislation
Answering questions from journalists during the briefing, the Commissioner for Budget and planning Kingsley Anosike disclosed that the development plan has been strengthened with legislative backing to ensure continuity across successive administrations, noting that the legal framework marks a major departure from the previous administration’s 30-year development plan, which he said, lacked statutory protection.
“The new legal seal would require any future review of the blueprint to pass through the same legislative process, thereby safeguarding the plan from abrupt abandonment or alterations.
“Why this development plan is different is that it is going to be backed by legislation. The legislatures are going to put a seal on this plan, warranting that any future review would have to pass through the same process of legislation. That is what is different.”
Mr Anosike further explained that the revised document became necessary because the original 2020 plan was heavily shaped by the uncertainties of the COVID-19 era and no longer reflected present economic realities.
He said the present government undertook the review to correct gaps in the original 2020 plan, which he described as heavily influenced by the global pandemic.
“Recall that in 2020 the then administration had a 30-year plan that extends to 2050. So when this administration came on board, they constituted a team to review the plan.
“The reason for the review is simple, and it is that the plan in 2020 was a COVID-driven plan.
“So plans written from that period onwards were written, considering the situation on ground, as everybody thought the world was coming to an end.
“Now, it is not a jettison of the plan; it is a review of the plan because between 2020 and 2025, five years stretch of economic activities, economic turbulence and everything happening in the world.
“Any serious administration would want to look at the indices, the framework of whatever the development plan is and realign it to current reality and that is what this administration has done,” Mr Anosike noted.
Partnership with global health organisations
Other matters, including the partnership between the Abia State Ministry of Health and the global health organisations, have continued to put the state in the limelight, as recent reports released by the Abia State Ministry of Health indicate that such interventions have saved the state N2.5 billion in healthcare cost, in addition to saving many lives.
The partners include Revive Belgium, ProHealth, Olusegun Obasanjo Foundation, Living Hope Foundation, and the NDDC.
The Abia State Executive Council equally announced that the Abia State Global Medical Mission will hold in the state between 15 and 20 December in collaboration with the state government and the Abia State Diaspora Council and the Abia State Ministry of Health.
“This is a collaboration between the state government, Abia State Diaspora Council and the Ministry of Health.
“The outreach promises to be a significant medical outreach that will affect the lives of Abians in very many significant ways,” the information commissioner, Mr Kanu, stated.
The Exco noted that Abia state was recently adopted as the first pilot partner in the Federal Civil Service Commission’s National Strategic Plan, designed to revolutionise career management and modernise public service processes across the country at the just concluded 44th Annual National Council of Civil Service Commissions held in the state.
It also noted that Abia state’s memorandum on the implementation of the Human Resource Management Information System was adopted as a benchmark for good governance by the council, which will be implemented across the 36 states of the federation.
Worthy of mentioning is that about 81 out of the 200 Primary Health Centers in the first phase of the “Project Ekwueme” have been functionalised, while the remaining will be fully equipped and functionalised in the New Year.
The Abia State Executive Council announced that the maternal and child birth round 2 programme would be flagged off today, 9 December.
The Office of the Wife of the Governor of Abia State is organising the programme in collaboration with the Abia State Ministry of Health, the Abia State Ministry of Women Affairs and the Abia State Primary Health Care Development Agency.
Furthermore, the National Malaria Elimination Programme is setting up a vector surveillance laboratory at the Ogbonnaya Onu Polytechnic, Aba, a medical facility meant to track the prevalence of malaria infection in Abia.
The EXCO also announced that “earlier on Monday, 8 December, a Hackathon, referred to as the Abia Startathon, commenced at the UNDP-Built Unipod at Michael Okpara University of Agriculture.
The summit will showcase groundbreaking innovations from SMEs, developers, entrepreneurs, especially young innovators.
It will feature the official launch of the Abia Technology Startup Law, a major step towards boosting digital innovation and entrepreneurship.
The Ministry of Agriculture would also be launching the Abia Agricultural Dynamic Database System (Abia ADDS) during the summit, a digital platform which will enhance data-driven planning and support innovation across the state’s agricultural value chain.
Security matters
Answering questions from journalists on the alleged hijacking of bus and kidnapping along the Owerrinta -Airport Road, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity Mr Ekeoma stated that while Abia and Imo states have swung into action and started a joint security patrol on the road and also apprehended the criminals behind the initial attack, the report of a bus being hijacked remain unconfirmed.
Mr Ekeoma disclosed that Governor Otti’s proactive disposition to dealing with insecurity is the reason why no Abia territory is under the control of criminals, assuring that the administration is committed to the protection of lives and property in the state.
