The Abia State Government has vowed to rid the state of drug abuse, cultism, and other criminal activities, as it begins payment of entitlements to disengaged staff of Ogbonnaya Onu Polytechnic, Aba.
Speaking at a press briefing in Umuahia on Monday, following this week’s State Executive Council meeting chaired by Governor Alex Otti, the Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, said the government had directed security agencies to act swiftly against the rise in cult-related violence and harassment of residents.
He said the administration was committed to restoring peace and protecting citizens, stressing that no effort would be spared in addressing security threats across the state.
As part of its resolve to address inherited labour issues, the commissioner disclosed that the state has commenced payment of former staff of Ogbonnaya Onu Polytechnic who were sacked by the previous administration between 2018 and 2022.
“Governor Otti has approved the payment of the disengaged staff. So far, 249 of them have been paid. This is another demonstration of the governor’s commitment to keeping his promises,” Kanu stated.
He also announced that rehabilitation work is ongoing at the Abia State College of Education Technical (ASCETA), Arochukwu. Projects currently being executed include the reconstruction of the library, the vocational education block, college auditorium, student hostels, and the school of technical education.
In a separate development, Kanu revealed that Governor Otti had earlier received a 15-year-old Abia-born tech prodigy, Miss Grace John Nkpa, who won the TechGirls 2025 competition and will represent Nigeria in the United States.
“The governor has pledged $5,000 in support of her travel. Her brilliance is a testament to the quality of education in Abia,” Kanu noted.
Highlighting the governor’s itinerary for the week, he said Thursday, July 10, would feature two key events: the groundbreaking of the Abia State Medical City and the formal launch of the Abia Security Trust Fund.
He further announced that the enrolment of local government workers into the Abia State Formal Sector Health Insurance Scheme is underway. Since its rollout on July 1, 2025, the scheme has already registered over 94,000 participants.
Kanu also confirmed that the Abia State Civil Service Commission has commenced the process of recruiting new health workers to bolster the state’s healthcare delivery system.
Leave a Reply