Obasanjo to inaugurate 45-km road in Abia * As ex-President’s foundation distributes hearing aids

Obasanjo to inaugurate 45-km road in Abia

* As ex-President’s foundation distributes hearing aids

By Steve Oko

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo is to inaugurate a 45-kilometer Umuahia-Uzuakoli-Akara-Alayi-Abiriba road re-constructed by Gov. Alex Otti.

This is as Olusegun Obasanjo Foundation in partnership with the Abia State Government, is set to distribute hearing aids to 1000 persons with hearing impairment in the state.

Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu who disclosed this during a press briefing on the outcome of the State Executive Council meeting, said both events would hold on April 2nd.

The Commissioner said that the 45-killometer road which was flagged off mid 2024, was part of the massive road infrastructural transformation of the Otti administration.

He said that solar-powered street lights were currently being installed on the road as part of strategies to improve security and enhance its esthetics view especially at night.

The Commissioner also said that the State Executive Council had approved the return of sanitary inspectors to enhance hygiene and public health in the state.

This, he said, was in line with the Government’s “Clean Abia initiative which has seen notable improvements in the sanitation conditions of major cities like Aba and Umuahia.”

He said:“Abia streets, particularly the streets of Aba and Umuahia that were previously regarded among the dirtiest in the country, have been transformed,” Kanu stated.

On the hearing aids, Kanu said: “Abia State Government, in partnership with the Olusegun Obasanjo Foundation, “is set to launch the Sound Intervention Hearing Mission 2025, aimed at providing 1,000 hearing aids to persons with hearing impairments.”

According to him, the programme is part of a broader initiative to enhance access to healthcare and improve the quality of life for vulnerable groups in the state.

The Commissioner said the programme would be flagged off by Gov. Otti, alongside the official launch of the formal sector health insurance scheme.

The health insurance scheme, according to him, will mark “a new era of proactive healthcare management in Abia”.

“This initiative is a testament to Governor Otti’s commitment to inclusive governance”, the Commissioner added.

Continuing he said:“This programme will afford about 1,000 Abians with hearing impairments the opportunity to receive hearing aids. That will definitely improve their hearing abilities and their lives generally,” Kanu said.

Contributing, the Commissioner for Health, Professor Enoch Uche, hinted that the state’s Ministry of Health would commence medical outreach from April 2 as part of efforts to improve healthcare delivery in the state.

He explained that after the launch of the event in Umuahia, the outreach would then move to Aba for a series of intensive medical interventions, targeting underserved populations.

Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Prof. Uche Eme-Uche, in her contribution, said efforts were on top gear to revamp tertiary institutions in the state including the Abia State College of Education Technical Arochukwu (ASCETA), which she said was in ruins before the current administration’s intervention.

She said the student population which was around 50 when Otti came on board, had now risen above 300.

“The Governor has undertaken to bring that place to a world-class educational institution. We are getting ready for accreditation because, as far back as 2017, all their programs lost accreditation,” she said.

She also hinted at major developments at Dr Ogbonnaya Onu Polytechnic and emphasised the administration’s goal of elevating state institutions to degree-awarding status.

On the on-going teachers’ recruitment exercise, the Commissioner said the cut-off mark for the computer-based test had been pegged at 45 per cent.

She said that successful candidates would be notified via SMS for oral interviews before their final selection.

Abia State is currently recruiting 3000 teachers for public primary and secondary schools.

 

Steve Oko, Publisher/C.E.O, WaWa News Global. For more information on advert placement and news coverage, contact us on: 08038725600, or via email stevemanofgod2000@yahoo.com; wawanewsglobal@gmail.com Always read WaWa News Global - Your most dependable online news platform for the latest breaking news in Nigeria.

About The Author