Abia @35: Okonjo-Iweala hails Otti’s reforms, pushes ‘Made in Aba’ global brand

…Chidoka seeks capable, sustainable Abia as Otti threatens sanctions over ASUU strike

By Steve Oko

UMUAHIA — Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has commended Governor Alex Otti for reforms she said were strengthening Abia State’s financial sustainability and driving economic transformation.

Okonjo-Iweala, who spoke in a virtual goodwill message at the 35th anniversary lecture marking the creation of Abia State, also urged the government to develop the “Made in Aba” label into a globally recognised brand.

The anniversary lecture, themed, “The Rise of a New Abia,” was held on Wednesday at the International Conference Centre, Umuahia.

The WTO director-general said the Otti administration had increased internally generated revenue (IGR), reduced the state’s dependence on Federation Account allocations and prioritised capital expenditure.

She also noted the state’s investments in infrastructure and improved electricity supply, as well as the settlement of inherited salary and pension arrears and reduction of its debt burden.

While acknowledging that more work remained to be done, Okonjo-Iweala expressed optimism that Abia could harness its potential to create jobs, prosperity and dignity for its people.

She said improved infrastructure, supportive policies and strategic investments in high-potential sectors could position the state within national, regional and global value chains.

Okonjo-Iweala specifically urged the government to build “Made in Aba” into a globally recognised brand while strengthening Umuahia as a light manufacturing and administrative centre.

Also speaking, the keynote speaker and former Minister of Aviation, Chief Osita Chidoka, said there was visible evidence of development in Abia since Otti assumed office in 2023.

Chidoka, however, said the ultimate test of the administration would be whether it could move Abia from having a capable governor to building a capable and sustainable state.

He said Otti’s emphasis on education was consistent with convictions he had expressed long before becoming governor, particularly in his 2014 book, Saving the Future.

Chidoka commended the consistent appropriation of 20 per cent of the state’s annual budget to education and expressed optimism that Abia could eventually become a reference point for good governance.

Meanwhile, Otti apologised to the Abia State University, Uturu (ABSU), community over the delayed implementation of approved demands by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), which resulted in the union’s recent strike.

The governor described the strike as avoidable and warned that “heads will roll” if such bureaucratic lapses recur.

Otti said the demands presented by ASUU-ABSU were legitimate and had been approved by him months earlier, but expressed concern that the approval had not been implemented.

“ASUU went on strike about a week or two ago in Abia State University, Uturu. Their requests came to me. I looked at those requests, and they were legitimate requests, and I approved them.

“But months later, I’m not saying weeks, months later, I was to be told that, yes, you have approved. But it had not been implemented.

“So, I want to, on this podium, apologise to Abia State University as well. That strike was avoidable. And I’ve told my people, if it happens again, heads will roll,” Otti said.

The governor congratulated Abians on the state’s 35th anniversary, stressing that governance was not about an individual but about building sustainable institutions and improving on existing foundations.

He reiterated his commitment to education, explaining that his administration’s decision to abolish school fees, including in the state’s smart schools, was driven by his long-standing belief in the transformative power of education.

In a vote of thanks, the Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, called for the cooperation and support of Abians in sustaining what he described as the “rise of a New Abia.”

The event attracted members of the National Assembly, members of the State Executive Council, traditional rulers, members of the clergy and other dignitaries.

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