22nd April 2025, NewsOrient, Opinion, Column, News, Governance And Development
By Emeka Nwosu, PhD.

Abia State has never had it so good going by the avalanche of impressive policy initiatives being executed by the Dr. Alex Otti-led administration.

In the last two years when the government came into being, the State has witnessed many remarkable policy initiatives and development projects being aggressively pursued in all parts of the State.

The imprimatur of the Governor is being registered in several signature projects across the State. A few days ago, the entire State was agog with excitement following the completion and commissioning of the 45 km Umuahia-Uzuakoli-Akara-Alayi-Item-Igbere-Abiriba highway. The road which was criminally abandoned for many decades is a key economic corridor that connects many agrarian communities and some vital commercial centres in Abia North and Abia Central senatorial zones.

With the successful delivery of the strategic road, several farming communities and commercial centres have been opened up to the rest of the State and indeed the world. As a result of this impressive development, Governor Otti has brought economic development to the door steps of these hitherto neglected places.

The reconstructed road would boost transportation, commerce and agriculture along that corridor, leading to economic empowerment and shared prosperity.

The focus of this piece is not really on the major strides that have been made in the area of road constructions in which much has been achieved especially in the commercial hub of Aba where the government has rebuilt most of the collapsed roads and public infrastructure.

The focus, however, is on the turn-around in the education sector of the State. Otti realizes quite clearly that education holds the key to any society that desires success and greatness. Education is a cornerstone of societal progress, propelling communities forward through enhanced knowledge, skills, and civic engagement.

It fosters economic growth, reduces inequality, and strengthens social cohesion, ultimately leading to more prosperous and equitable societies.

As a first class Economist, he sure knows how successful societies like Singapore, South Korea, and Botswana in Africa have become models of economic development because of their strategic investments in the field of education. It is, therefore, hardly surprising to all discerning minds why the Otti administration is paying special attention to the education sector.

The best gift that can be given to the children of Abia State is good and quality education. Such would prepare and equip them with the knowledge and confidence to face tomorrow and overcome challenges.

It is against this background that the current move by Governor Otti to employ 4000 teachers to sustain the ongoing free and compulsory education policy instituted by his administration is highly appreciated. It will be recalled that following the free education policy initiative, school enrollment has recorded exponential rise.

The free education policy covers the primary school level and up to junior secondary school. This laudable policy is coming on the heels of an ongoing programme for the modernization and retrofitting of about 200 schools in different parts of the State.

The Governor disclosed the decision to recruit the 4000 teachers in Umuahia during a dinner he hosted in honour of former President Olusegun Obasanjo who was in the State to commission the completed Umuah-Uzuakoli-Akara-Abiriba highway. He emphasized the commitment of his government to ensuring that every child of school age, especially from indigent homes, has access to quality education.

In demonstration of his commitment to ensuring that no child in Abia is left behind, Governor Otti had earlier gotten the Abia House of Assembly to pass a law stopping children from engaging in street trading, hawking or any form of commercial activities when they are supposed to be in school.

The law requires that the parents or guardians of such defaulting children are to be arrested and prosecuted.

The Governor noted that the new policy initiative has led to an astronomical increase in student enrollment, which necessitated the need for more teachers, adding that a taskforce has also been set up to monitor teacher commitment and school attendance. To further ensure that the schools run without disruptions, Otti increased the imprest allowance of the principals and headmasters/headmistresses of the schools.

With the mass recruitment of teachers to scale up the education sector, Governor Otti has succeeded in creating employment opportunities for a good number of trained teachers in the State without jobs.

Apart from ensuring that every child in Abia is given basic education, the new policy initiative would put food on the tables of many families in the State.

Otti, indeed, is showing the lead in education with the massive attention he is according the sector. It will be recalled that in the 2025 Budget, he allocated 20 percent of the entire budget outlayt to education, with as much as 14.63 percent going to Basic and Secondary Education. This underscores the great importance Governor Otti attaches to the sector.

In a piece titled, “Abia`s Budget of Sustained Momentum: The Game Changer for Transformative Development”, which I published in December 2024, I had noted as follows: “…

Education is the key to human capital development. Most societies that have achieved transformation did so through education. It is the potent weapon against poverty, disease and ignorance.

An educated society is a society that is socially liberated and economically self-sustaining. It is no wonder that Otti is paying serious attention to this sector”.

Governor Otti is really raising the bar in this very important field of human endeavour. And the people of Abia are better for it.

Dr. Emeka Nwosu, a Public Policy Analyst, writes from Umuahia.
Email: cdnwosu2@gmail.com

~ Published By NewsOrient Network

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