Abia Govt Adjusts School Resumption Date, Announces Key Policy Initiatives
Public and Private schools in Abia State will now resume on September 23, 2024, instead of the previously scheduled date of September 16.
The Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, who made this known during a press briefing at Government House Umuahia, following the State Executive Council meeting chaired by Governor Alex Otti, said the decision follows the upcoming Muslim holiday on September 16, which coincides with the initial resumption date.
Prince Kanu disclosed that the Abia First Teachers Training program, which has already trained 200 master trainers, will recommence from September 11 to 24. This phase will involve 1,800 trainers across three centers in Aba, Umuahia, and Ohafia.
“The training is part of the state’s broader agenda to reform the education sector, serving as a prerequisite for the new academic year,” Kanu stated.
Governor Otti has also directed landlords in Aba without approved building plans to obtain certification within 90 days. They are encouraged to pay the old rate for building approvals, as a way to ease compliance.
“If the new rate were applied, there would likely be complaints, but the Governor’s decision reflects his compassionate approach to governance,” Kanu emphasized.
He announced that Abia has been chosen as one of six states to represent Nigeria at an international medical symposium in Ghana.
The symposium, a collaboration between the World Bank and Nigeria, is called HOPE—Human Capital Opportunity for Prosperity and Equity.
“The state’s selection is based on the ongoing health sector reforms in Abia,” Kanu explained.
The state’s “Light Up Abia” project continues to expand, with 4,346 solar lights already installed across 86 locations. This initiative aims to improve security and living conditions across Abia’s towns and cities.
Kanu also announced that the Abia Electricity Bill has passed its second reading in the State House of Assembly.
The bill, once enacted, will empower the state to regulate its electricity sector, including the establishment of the Abia State Electricity Regulatory Authority and the Abia State Rural Electrification Agency.
“The passage of this bill will significantly boost the state’s ongoing power reforms,” added Engr. Ikechukwu Monday, Commissioner for Power and Public Utilities.
The briefing was attended by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Ukoha Njoku Ukoha.