Abia Gov Built 414 Roads, Cut Debt by 60% in 3 Ye

Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, says he has constructed 414 roads across the state, measuring about 864.12 kilometres within the last three years of his administration in the state.

Otti also disclosed that his administration has reduced the debt profile of the state by about 60 per cent.

The governor spoke on Friday night during his monthly media chat, tagged “Governor Alex Otti Speaks to Abians” held in Umuahia.

According to the governor, in the last three years, his administration has constructed 414 roads with street lights and drainage systems.

“We are consistent in terms of delivering street lights with the roads. And of course drainage.

“And a lot of them are going to be commissioned from next week. There are another 82 roads under construction. And they are at different stages of completion. Those 82 roads, most of them on contract, measure about 212 kilometres.

“We have been able to reduce our debt profile significantly by about 60%. From about 191 billion Naira in 2023 to less than 50 billion Naira at the end of 2025.

“Your government has also been positively wrapped, particularly in areas of fiscal sustainability, transparency and accountability. The Budget state of the states report moved Abia from No. 17 two years ago in 2023 to No. 4 last year in 2025. And we believe we will continue to do well. These are independent rankings. It just gives you an idea of how the government is being run,” he said.

He further revealed that the government has recorded and identified assets allegedly acquired illegally as part of ongoing reforms aimed at strengthening accountability and transparency in governance.

The governor, who reeled out other score cards of his government, said that in environmental sanitation, the state now evacuates about 13 tonnes of refuse weekly while over 2,000 jobs have been created through the Abia State Environmental Agency.

He said that in the transportation sector, where electric buses were introduced among others, another set of electric buses would come into the state by July, while the new bus terminal in Umuahia would be inaugurated on the 27th of this month, and added that the state is installing charging stations in Umuahia and Aba to support the electric buses initiative.

The state chief executive revealed the milestone his administration achieved in the area of lands, stating, “In the area of lands and public buildings, as of yesterday, 4,707 Certificates of Occupancy have been signed. Information available to me, that number is more than the total number of certificates of occupancy signed between 1999 and 2023.

“We also have completed the new Abia Master Plan. It will be launched any moment from now. We have worked with the UN Habitat. Of course, on digitization of land records, 4 million documents have been scanned into the system.”

In education and health, the governor highlighted several progresses made including building of smart schools, two of which would be commissioned soon in Ubakala in Umuahia South and the Umuomaiukwu in Isialangwa North, recruitment of teachers, transformations in ABSU, ASCETA and Ogbonnaya Onu Polytechnic among others.

He noted that 821 healthcare professionals were recruited, while 771 have already resumed duties across hospitals and primary healthcare centres in the state. He disclosed that over 93,000 residents have enrolled in the state health insurance scheme and disclosed that 277 primary healthcare centres have been retrofitted across the state.

“Out of the 277 healthcare centres retrofitted, 200 were handled by the state government while 77 were supported by the World Bank. So far, 121 of them are fully functionalised,” Otti explained.

He added that reconstruction works are ongoing at General Hospitals in Ikwuano, Arochukwu and Okeikpe and Ohafia, while tertiary health institutions at Amachara, Abia State University Teaching Hospital and Umunneato are undergoing remodeling and major upgrades.

Otti, who assured all that he would continue to work for the restoration of the dignity of the people, said “the most important part of this administration is the impact it has made in human capital development, infrastructure renewal, fiscal responsibility, social justice, all wrapped up in restoring the dignity of our people.”