Abia gov confident of second term

=Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has expressed confidence that he will complete his eight-year tenure in office.

Otti stated this on Tuesday in his office while receiving members of the Old Students Association of the Federal School of Arts and Science, Aba, who visited him and expressed confidence that he would be re-elected to complete his projects in the state.

The governor said, “About 2027, we don’t let it distract us, but you have a point. Primaries will happen within the month and then elections will be next year. But we know that Abia people are not stupid.

“They know what is good for them. Because of that, we also know that it’s all about politics. And I’m not too sure that there is someone that would want to throw away what is good.

“This place is God’s own state. So, at the time that it pleased God, He makes changes here. And God doesn’t have unfinished business, or unfinished project.

“So, we are confident that we will complete the project that we have been asked to do by Abians.”

Otti commended the old students for their decision to renovate one of the hostels in their alma mater, describing the move as laudable.

“I want to also thank you for your decision to fix one of the hostels. It is a very laudable action that you have done, because you could have as well ignored it. I’m sure there are a lot of members of your school that may not even be coming for these meetings.

“So, I want to congratulate you and encourage you to continue, because your story cannot be told without this school,” Otti said.

The governor thanked the association for choosing Abia for its bi-annual meeting, not ing that the decision was commendable.

He also disclosed that his decision to support Professor Bart Nnaji’s Aba Power project was to ensure steady power supply in the state, commending Nnaji’s resilience.

Otti said an agreement had been signed and that the state was at the point of payment to acquire the Umuahia ring-fenced area of the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company, adding that when completed, the remaining eight local government areas, including Umuahia and its environs, as well as Abia North Senatorial District, would be linked to Geometric Power.

“So, there’s excess power. Of course, with an additional turbine, it will be able to generate 188 megawatts. So, the whole idea is to take excess power from Aba to the other eight local governments in Abia Central and Abia North.

“We’ve also set up the Abia State Electricity Regulatory Agency. And so right now, everything about regulation is within the state. So, we will be detached from the national electricity grid,” Otti said.

Earlier, the President of the Old Students Association of the Federal School of Arts and Science, Aba, Tony Ejieji, commended the governor’s performance, noting that members were in the state for their bi-annual meeting.

He said the state had become peaceful and safe, hence their decision to host the meeting there, which had previously been held in Lagos.

Ejieji also praised the governor’s infrastructural projects across the state and urged him to sustain the momentum.

He added that members of the association were renovating one of the hostels in their alma mater and commended developments at the Geometric Power Plant in Aba and other projects in Aba and Umuahia.

The meeting was attended by the Commissioner for Tertiary Education and other government officials.