By Ugochukwu Alaribe, UMUAHIA
Abia state governor, Dr. Alex Otti has disclosed his government’s plans to digitally transform the state and prepare it for the next century.
The Governor, who disclosed this at Government House, Umuahia, during the June edition of the monthly media chat tagged “Dr Alex Otti Speaks to Abians”, disclosed that the project would be heralded by the broadband technology which will provide access to the Internet in the state.
Otti further disclosed that he would soon appoint a chief Information technologist, to prepare the state for digital transformation and that would be heralded by the broadband technology that the state is aldedy in its final stages of discussion.
He said; “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”
He vowed to make infrastructure, education, health agriculture, security and others focus of his second year in office.
Noting that access is key to a thriving economy, Otti assured that his infrastructural revolution will be extended to all the nooks and crannies of the 17 council areas in the next few months.
He said that aside 90 roads rehabilitated through direct labour by the state Ministry of Works, 16 roads have already been reconstructed and commissioned by his administration while another 16 new roads representing 165 Kilometers are under construction and reconstruction across the 3 Senatorial zones of the state.
On the health sector, the Governor stated that all general hospitals are being retrofitted.
On Agriculture, Otti 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 in the state have been sent to the CSS Farms Nasarawa state to be trained on various agricultural value chains.
He also stated that his administration is partnering organizations and companies in areas of palm oil, cocoa ,rice and other agricultural value chains.
On the issue of over due staff promotions, conversion and confirmation, Otti disclosed that 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 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.
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, stressing that decisions would be made when their report of the investigations are turned in.
Source: Vanguard
