Abia State Governor Dr. Alex Otti, OFR, will sign the State’s 2025 budget tomorrow, 27th December. The Governor disclosed this on Thursday, 26th December, during the 2024 Aro Day celebration held at Aro Civic Center, in Arochukwu Local Government Area with the theme: “Honour for Distinguished Champions of Aro Renaissance, Peace and Community Development.”
“By tomorrow (27 December), I will be signing our budget for 2025. The budget I’m about to sign has allocated 20% of the 750 billion to education and 15% to healthcare”, the Governor stated while maintaining that his administration’s focus remains people-centered.
Governor Otti opined that governance is not about sharing money to the people but creating an enabling environment for the people to fend for themselves. He said that one unique thing about the Igbos is that even if they are hungry, they don’t go to a place to beg for food but instead will ask to be given something to do so that they can work and make a living.
While thanking the people of Arochukwu for their support to his administration, he promised more dividends of democracy across the State. He used the opportunity to mention some ongoing projects across the State initiated by his administration.
“About a year ago, when I was here, I promised that development will touch every part of Abia State”.
“Am sure you were part of the flag-off of the road from Ohafia through Ututu-Ihechiowa to Arochukwu and then from Arochukwu to Ini. You can confirm that work is going on”.
“Last year, we also flagged off the Okobo road and those who took that road will also agree with us that work is going on very seriously. One thing you can take to the bank is that any job we start, we’ll finish it. In our dictionary, there is no abandoned project”.
“We have also started retrofitting and renovating some schools. I believe that a lot of schools in Arochukwu Local Government will benefit from these projects. Our schools will look a particular way. When you enter a public school in Abia State, you will know you have come to a school”.
“I also do know that a lot of schools don’t have qualified teachers. What we have done to attract people to the teaching profession is that from the year 2025, just a few days from today, teachers are going to be getting what I call a discriminatory compensation package. And what that means is that if a teacher was earning 20,000 before, he would be earning 50,000”, Governor Otti declared amidst applause from the happy crowd.
While announcing that renovation and retrofitting work has started at the General Hospitals across the State, he equally disclosed that presently, out of the 948 Primary Health Centers in the State, 200 are currently undergoing renovations and retrofitting, assuring that the remaining 748 will also be retrofitted.
“There are 22 General Hospitals in Abia State and each of them is receiving our touch. There are 948 Primary Health Centers, and at the moment, 200 of them are being retrofitted,” the Governor stated.
Governor Otti commended the Eze Aro the 9th, His Eminence, Eze Dr. Eberechukwu Oji, for his good leadership, saying that the people of Aro made the right choice by choosing him to lead them.
The presence of popular Nigerian music star, Mr. Chinedu Okoli better known by his stage name as “Flavour” added colour to the already colourful event as he thrilled the crowd with some of his songs.
A key highlight of the event was the award of Ikemba Aro, Adaukwu Aro and Ugwu Aro to some worthy sons and daughters of Arochukwu Kingdom.
The event attracted illustrious sons and daughters of Arochukwu Kingdom home and abroad.
Ctz. UKOHA NJOKU UKOHA
Chief Press Secretary to the Executive Governor of Abia State.
26-12-2024
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