Governor Otti Plans To Digitize Abia.

Abia state governor, Dr. Alex Otti has disclosed his government's plans to digitally transform the Abia economy and boost technology in the state.

The governor disclosed this in Government House, Umuahia during the June edition of the monthly media chat tagged "Dr. Alex Otti Speaks to Abians". He said that the project will be heralded by broadband technology which would provide access to the Internet in the state.

Governor Otti announced that in the days ahead he would be appointing a chief Information technologist, to prepare the state for digital transformation and that would be heralded by the broadband technology that the state is already in its final stages of discussion.

"We are preparing our state for the next century. Wherever you are, you can have access to data. We are preparing our state for the next century."

The governor vowed to make infrastructure, education, health agriculture, security and others focus of his second year in office. While noting that access is key to a thriving economy, governor Otti assured that his infrastructural revolution will be extended to all the nooks and crannies of the seventeen LGAS in the next few months.

He said that aside from ninety roads rehabilitated through direct labor by the state Ministry of Works, sixteen roads have already been reconstructed and commissioned by his administration while another sixteen new roads representing 165 Kilometers are under construction and reconstruction across the three Senatorial zones of the state.

On the health sector, the governor said all general hospitals in the state are being retrofitted while that of primary healthcare centers are being done in batches.

On Agriculture, the state chief executive said that the sector is receiving the needed attention to ensure food security, noting that the first batch of 300 beneficiaries drawn from various wards of the state have been sent to the CSS Farms Nasarawa state to be trained on various agricultural value chains.

He said that the government is partnering organizations and companies in areas of palm oil, cocoa ,rice and other agricultural value chains.

The governor, who restated his avowed commitment to bringing to account anyone remotely or directly involved in the recent killing of soldiers at the Obikabia Junction few weeks ago said his government is taking the issue of security seriously and added that Operation Crush is more poised to deal decisively with criminal elements in the state.

Reacting to the issue of long overdue staff promotions, conversion and confirmation, governor Otti said he had directed the Chairman Civil Service Commission and Head of Service to look into the matter with a view to giving the matter the needed attention.

"At the last EXCO meeting, I had instructed the Chairman of the Civil Service Commission and the Head of Service to sit down and look at promotions and the like and from the report that I got I think the last time promotions were done was in 2021 so that throws up quite some challenges. At least, let's look at it and see what we can do. So, we are not ignoring it; but you must also admit that a lot of things went wrong just like every other sector. Gov. Otti stated.”

He added that his government is prioritizing the welfare of workers, hence he has been regular in salary payment and pensions, assuring that arrears of leave allowances would be paid.

"My understanding of leave allowances is that they are due when you go on leave. We don't have any problem paying people who are going on leave. If there are arrears that have not been paid."

The state chief executive said that there is nothing wrong in suspending someone holding a position when serious allegations are made against the appointee. He disclosed that a committee has been set up to investigate the allegations against his appointees saying that,
"By the time the committee completes its work, their report will be turned in and a decision will be taken."

Governor Alex Otti also revealed that a committee has been set up to rid the streets of the state of the mentally challenged individuals.