Otti disclosed this on Thursday during the 2024 Aro Day celebration held at the Aro Civic Centre in the Arochukwu Local Government Area of the state.
He revealed that the 2025 budget would be signed into law on December 27.
“On December 27, I will be signing our budget for 2025. The budget I’m about to sign has allocated 20% of the ₦750 billion to education and 15% to healthcare,” the governor stated, emphasising that his administration’s focus remains people-centred.
Otti opined that governance is not about sharing money with the people but creating an enabling environment for the people to fend for themselves.
He said, “One unique thing about the Igbos is that even if they are hungry, they don’t go to a place to beg for food but instead will ask to be given something to do so that they can work and make a living.”
While thanking the people of Arochukwu for their support of his administration, he promised more dividends of democracy across the state.
He used the opportunity to mention some ongoing projects initiated by his administration.
He said, “About a year ago, when I was here, I promised that development would touch every part of Abia State. I’m sure you were part of the flag-off of the road from Ohafia through Ututu-Ihechiowa to Arochukwu, and then from Arochukwu to Ini. You can confirm that work is going on.
“We also flagged off the Okobo road, and those who took that road will also agree with us that work is going on very seriously. One thing you can take to the bank is that any job we start, we’ll finish it. In our dictionary, there is no abandoned project.
“We have also started retrofitting and renovating some schools. I believe that a lot of schools in Arochukwu Local Government will benefit from these projects. Our schools will look a particular way. When you enter a public school in Abia State, you will know you have come to a school.”
He acknowledged the lack of qualified teachers in many schools and outlined measures to attract talent to the teaching profession.
“What we have done to attract people to the teaching profession is that from the year 2025, just a few days from today, teachers are going to be getting what I call a discriminatory compensation package. And what that means is that if a teacher was earning ₦20,000 before, he would be earning ₦50,000,” Otti declared amidst applause from the happy crowd.
He also announced that renovation and retrofitting work had commenced at General Hospitals across the state.
He disclosed, “There are 22 General Hospitals in Abia State, and each of them is receiving our touch. There are 948 Primary Health Centers, and at the moment, 200 of them are being retrofitted. The remaining 748 will also be retrofitted.”
He commended His Eminence, Eze Dr. Eberechukwu Oji, the 9th Eze Aro, for his good leadership and remarked that the people of Aro made the right choice by selecting him to lead them.
Source | Punchng
