Governor Alex Otti has reiterated his administration’s determination to restore the dignity of Abia residents by focusing on quality education and healthcare.
During a meeting with a delegation from the World Bank on Sunday, March 23, Otti outlined the significant strides his government is making in these vital sectors, despite the challenges faced upon his assumption of office in 2023.
The World Bank delegation, led by Lead Governance Specialist Ms. Deborah Isser, visited Abia State as part of the World Bank’s Human Capital Opportunities for Prosperity and Equity (HOPE) programme.
Otti welcomed the team, expressing gratitude for their interest in the state’s efforts to improve healthcare and education.
He emphasised that the visit was not only an opportunity for the World Bank to learn from Abia’s initiatives but also for his administration to gain insights from the organisation’s expertise.
“It is my pleasure to have you (World Bank delegation). I think you came not just to learn from us but to see what we are doing and allow us to learn from you as experts,” Otti said.
The Governor explained that restoring dignity to Abians is deeply intertwined with improving healthcare and education, noting that these are essential to achieving true dignity for the people.
“If the people are not healthy, there is nothing like dignity. If they are healthy and not well educated, they can’t even communicate,” Otti stated.
On assuming office in 2023, Otti acknowledged the deteriorated state of both the healthcare and education systems in the state, which had been left in disrepair.
However, he assured the delegation that his government had made significant progress in refurbishing and improving health and academic institutions across the state.
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“Our administration has made huge success in the health and education sectors, with substantial retrofitting of health and academic institutions across the state,” he said.
The Governor also expressed concern over the ongoing brain drain in the healthcare sector and revealed that his administration would begin procuring equipment for newly retrofitted primary healthcare centres.
Additionally, plans for capacity building for existing healthcare workers are set to commence soon.
While visiting Abia State University, Uturu, after Sunday church service, Otti voiced his embarrassment at the dilapidated state of the institution’s infrastructure. He called for urgent reforms and improvements to the facilities, stating that such conditions were unacceptable.
Otti continued by outlining how his administration was addressing the root causes of the educational sector’s decline, primarily the inadequate infrastructure that had left many schools in disrepair.
He promised that more detailed updates on progress in education and healthcare would be shared with the World Bank delegation as they continued their study tour of the state’s relevant Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).
