The Abia State Government has declared an all-out war on criminal activities, cultism, and drug abuse across the state. It has also commenced the payment of staff of Ogbonnaya Onu Polytechnic, Aba, who were disengaged between 2018 and 2022 by the previous administration.
Addressing journalists on Monday at Government House, Umuahia, following this week’s State Executive Council meeting presided over by Governor Alex Otti, Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, said the government has directed security agencies to intensify efforts to curb rising criminal and cult-related activities in the state.
According to him, the Otti-led administration is determined to restore sanity and ensure that Abia remains safe for all residents.
On the disengaged workers, Kanu confirmed that the governor had approved the payment of salaries owed to former staff of Ogbonnaya Onu Polytechnic, adding that the process has already commenced.
“So far, 249 of the affected staff have been paid. This is another promise made and kept by Dr. Alex Otti. These are liabilities inherited from the previous government,” the commissioner stated.
Kanu also provided updates on the ongoing renovation work at the Abia State College of Education Technical (ASCETA), Arochukwu. He said projects such as the college library, vocational education block, auditorium, student hostels, and the school of technical education are progressing satisfactorily.
In another development, the commissioner announced that Governor Otti earlier in the day received 15-year-old Miss Grace John Nkpa, an Abia-born student who emerged winner of the prestigious TechGirls 2025 contest and will represent Nigeria in the United States.
“The governor has graciously offered $5,000 in support of her trip to the U.S. Miss Nkpa’s achievement speaks volumes about the standard of education in Abia,” Kanu noted.
He further highlighted some of the governor’s public engagements scheduled for the week, including the groundbreaking of the Abia State Medical City and the launch of the Abia Security Trust Fund, both billed for Thursday, July 10, 2025.
Additionally, Kanu disclosed that the enrolment of local government workers into the Abia State Formal Sector Health Insurance Scheme has commenced. The scheme, which officially began on July 1, has already recorded 94,442 enrollees.
He also revealed that the Abia State Civil Service Commission has opened applications for a health workforce recruitment exercise to strengthen the state’s healthcare delivery.