Why We Are Supporting FG To Build Abia Airport — Otti
2 years ago 3 min read
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Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti, has clarified the state’s involvement in the proposed Nsulu Airport in Isialangwa, emphasizing that it remains a federal project, with the state offering support for its development.
On Friday during his monthly media chat titled; “Governor Otti speaks to Abians”, Governor Otti explained that while the state government is not directly responsible for the project, it has contributed by suggesting an alternative approach to enhance its scope.
“This is not a partnership between the state government and the communities. It is a federal government project, and we are supporting it.”
“The federal government initially planned to build an airstrip, but through our intervention, it has been converted to a full-fledged airport. We provide the land and supporting logistics to ensure it meets international standards. I want to thank the federal government for considering working with us,” he said.
On other state developments, the governor discussed the recently presented state budget, which exceeds N750bn. He revealed that 82 per cent of the budget is allocated for capital expenditure, with a significant portion set aside for education and healthcare.
“Some people have made comments about the size of the budget being too high. When you look at the size in absolute terms, if you look at the budget size with inflation at over 30 per cent and with exchange rate depreciation, then the difference may not be as pronounced as it looks. The important thing is that every budget is an aspiration.
“It is an aspiration that is founded on logic. It is always interesting when the budget is realistic and at the end of the day, you would have implemented it. Of course, circumstances may make you not implement the full budget.
“But should you stop budgeting because you are not too sure of what will happen tomorrow? The answer is no. You have to keep planning,” Otti said.
The governor noted that infrastructural projects, including the dualization of key roads and the retrofitting of 200 primary healthcare centres across the state were Underway, saying, “In 100 days, we aim to deliver these centres to all 184 wards in Abia State.”
In the education sector, the governor highlighted the progress made in improving tertiary institutions, including the separation of basic, secondary, and tertiary education.
“We are working to bring Abia State College of Education and Abia State University up to speed, and we have started implementing the recommendations from the white paper,” he said.
In a moment of pride, Governor Otti celebrated the state’s recent achievement, with Abia coming second in the UNICEF Primary Health Care Leadership Challenge, winning a prize of 400,000 dollars.
“This is not the first time we have won that prize. Last year we also came second. We are hoping that in the next year, we will leap to the first position.
“I want to congratulate the Honorable Commissioner for Health and his team for performing that well. We believe it is still early days. By the time we complete all the projects that we have on hand, I think the story will be different,” said Otti.
