Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, on Monday assented to 18 executive bills, increasing the total number of executive bills passed by the State House of Assembly to 30.
The development was made known by the Commissioner for Information, Okey Kanu, while addressing journalists on the outcome of the expanded executive council meeting presided over by the governor.
He described the move as “record-breaking,” comparing it to benchmarks set by previous administrations both within and beyond Abia.
Providing further insight, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Ikechukwu Uwannah, emphasized the significance of the joint session that followed the council meeting.
he gathering brought together key members of the administration, including commissioners, Special Advisers, Senior Special Assistants, appointees, institutional heads, the Chief of Staff, and the deputy governor.
“At the end of the expanded executive council meeting, there was a joint session with the leadership and members of the House of Assembly.
“This is the first time we are having such an event. If my memory serves me right, the first time is happening in the state,” Uwannah noted.
He added, “Today’s session was quite incisive, as the House of Assembly members, led by the Speaker, came with 18 bills which have been properly scrutinised by the members of the House of Assembly, and they have made their input and passed them for His Excellency’s assent.
“It’s important to note that those 18 bills were Executive bills, so they were actually products of the Executive Committee led by His Excellency, and they’ve gone through a rigorous process at the House of Assembly, and they’ve been passed.”
Uwannah explained that the newly signed laws form the backbone of the state’s ongoing transformation, driving infrastructural projects, reforms, and development initiatives.
Among the legislations highlighted were laws establishing the Office of Ombudsman, the Senior Citizens Law, and the relocation of both the Office of Homeland Security and the Umuahia Capital Development Authority.
Commissioner Kanu also disclosed that the Otti-led government had paid a counterpart fund of N3.5 billion to facilitate several major projects.
These include six road maintenance projects, five road upgrade projects across 10 Local Government Areas, and the establishment of three agro-logistics hubs under the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Programme.
“So the state has paid its own counterpart funds and we expect that with a similar action from the World Bank, that project will kick off around the state. Ten or more LGAs will benefit from that program,” he stated.
On her part, the Commissioner for Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection, Blessing Ngozi Felix, lauded the governor’s rural development strategy.
“Gov. Otti has demonstrated once again his commitment to the development of our rural communities by investing in long-term solutions as regards road infrastructure under the Abia State Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project.
“He recently approved the payment of the counterpart fund to the tune of N3.5 billion, which is a key requirement for all states who are participating in the Rural Access Project. Abia is one of the states,” she said.
