… continue from Part (1)
Abia is, no doubt, God’s Own State and the expectations are high for a state like Abia; then, the Abia leaders’ performance? Embarrassingly low until Otti threw his hat into the ring and took over our own version of the ‘Oval Office’.
Aba, the commercial Eldorado that provides low-level manufactured goods to other Nigerian cities including cities in the sub-Saharan Africa and parts of Central Africa became an embarrassing jungle city with little or no infrastructures. The ones available were obsolete.
As a fledging industrial hub east of the Niger that serves as a quintessential melting pot for influx of small, medium and large scale companies, the Enyimba city literarily became a shadow of its self as entrepreneurs fled the state due to the dying economy and the rising insecurity that befell the city. The misfortune was compounded by lack of health facilities. None indeed was available!
Primary, secondary and tertiary health services were mere consulting clinics; as a result, the state recorded heavy casualties and fatalities when that unfortunate pandemic, COVID ’19 broke out.
Health: Alex Otti’s unequivocal vision on healthcare led him to focus on quality governance whose aftermath led to major milestone particularly in the health sector. The administration’s landmark allocation of 15% of the state’s budget to this sector sends the right signal of his determination to entrench in this God’s Own State a durable healthcare system. Under his healthcare initiative ‘Project Ekwueme’, the administration has retrofitted and equipped, with modern facilities, not less than 250 Primary Healthcare Centres (PHC) in the 17 Local Government Areas of the state; they are reachable and they are accessible to the rural dwellers.
On assumption in office in May 29, 2023, Otti met an orphanage-like and ailing institution, Abia State University Teaching Hospital (ABSUTH) whose accreditation was withdrawn by the National University Commission (NUC) and Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN). His interventions quickly restored the courses de-accredited during the regime of his predecessors.
This good gesture, however came with some price: the price is Otti’s fulfillment of the conditions and standards set by NUC and MDCN; complementing them with a major upgrade of the institution.
He left no one in doubt as to his plans on the abandoned general hospitals across the state. To this end, the governor commenced a vigorous and properly articulated exercise of retrofitting, reconstruction and indeed outright construction of Amachara, Umunnato, Ohafia, Aba, Okeikpe, Obingwa etc general hospitals.
It should be recalled that Amachara General Hospital established in 1932 began to breathe a new lease of life as a result of this retrofitting. Interestingly, these actions are being executed under the three years of Otti’s assumption of power. Today, these hospitals have become places where Abia citizens and residents go to have and receive quality treatment without ado.
To ensure that the health personnel in the health institutions across the state do not take a flight in the manner known as the brain drain syndrome, the administration of Alex Otti enhanced their salaries and wages to match what obtains at the federal level, and thereafter complemented his exploits in this sector with the recruitment of more health personnel.
Nearly 800 health workers made up of doctors, nurses, pharmacists, laboratory scientists, public health officers etc, have been recruited into the Abia Civil Service with staffing in the pipeline.
Today, Abia workers smile copiously. Reason: because of the health insurance policy tagged Abia State Health Insurance Scheme. Activated to make healthcare available and affordable for workers, artisans and the public, Otti went further to champion free healthcare initiatives for the vulnerable groups, including pregnant women, children under five and people over 70.
With the collaboration of the Office of the Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (OSSAP-SDGs), the government of Alex Otti built a 100-bed facility, equipped it with world class medical facilities and services. The aim is to reduce child mortality rates in the state.
One other remarkable lead of Otti is the plan to establish a comprehensive health facility in each of the 17 LGAs in Abia as well as the launch of Free Medical Service initiative that provides diagnostic, laboratory services, counseling and drug dispensing to thousands of Abia citizens and residents.
His government thinks about safer Abia right from inception and does not only concentrate in one sector alone.
Security: The security challenge at the Umunneochi-Isuikwuato axis of the state was immediately tackled on assumption of power. Realising that effective security thrives in collaboration between the public and security agencies and provides a symbiotic relationship, Otti set up the ‘Operation Crush’; an admixture of the service personnel from the Army, Navy, DSS, NSCDC and Police, inaugurating it under three months in office.
Since a well secured environment begets prosperity and wealth and has the potentials of attracting investors, the administration, through his Security Adviser, Navy Commander Macdonald Ubah (rtd) ensures that the security outfit keeps an eye on all the nooks and crannies of Abia.
Today, Abia citizens and residents sleep like babies on newly acquired cots. For now, the overwhelming record of success in this battle against insecurity is propelled by many support, supply and assistance to this ‘Operation Crush’ to aid its operatives to perform their assignment.
Since inauguration in 2023, the outfit has been receiving many patrol vans, information/security gadgets, mouthwatering allowances etc to enable the operatives deeply aligned to the objective of the ‘Operation Crush’. The essence of all these is to underscore the fact that the administration is on course to make Abia State a safe haven.
Also on board to nip insecurity in the bud are: Mr Obiamaraije Stanley, the Chairman of Abia Security Trust Fund (ASSTF) and Lt General Azubuike Ihejirika, the Chairman of Abia Security Advisory.
…to be continued.
Uche Nwosu is an Umuahia, Abia State, based Journalist.
A Shell BP Double Award Winner On Environmental Pollution & On Investigative Journalism – Year 2000