Otti boasts of 414 roads, 60% debt slash in Abia’s three-year turnaround

Governor Alex Otti has declared that his administration has constructed 414 roads spanning over 864 kilometres across Abia State within three years, while also reducing the state’s debt profile by about 60 per cent.

Speaking during his monthly media chat, “Governor Alex Otti Speaks to Abians,” held Friday night in Umuahia, Otti said the projects reflect his administration’s commitment to infrastructure renewal, fiscal discipline and human capital development.

According to him, the roads were delivered with streetlights and drainage systems, while another 82 roads covering about 212 kilometres are currently at different stages of completion.

“We are consistent in delivering roads with streetlights and drainage. A lot of them will be commissioned from next week,” the governor said.

Otti further revealed that the state’s debt burden had dropped from about N191 billion in 2023 to less than N50 billion by the end of 2025.

He also highlighted improvements in fiscal transparency, noting that Abia moved from 17th position in the BudgIT State of States ranking in 2023 to fourth position in 2025.

The governor disclosed that the government had identified and documented assets allegedly acquired illegally as part of ongoing reforms aimed at strengthening accountability and transparency in governance.

On environmental sanitation, Otti said the state now evacuates about 13 tonnes of refuse weekly, while more than 2,000 jobs had been created through the Abia State Environmental Agency.

In the transport sector, he said the state’s electric bus initiative would receive a fresh boost with the arrival of additional buses by July, while a new bus terminal in Umuahia would be inaugurated on May 27. He added that charging stations were being installed in Umuahia and Aba to support the electric buses.

The governor also announced major reforms in land administration, disclosing that 4,707 Certificates of Occupancy had been signed so far — a figure he said exceeds the total number issued in the state between 1999 and 2023.

He added that the new Abia Master Plan had been completed in collaboration with UN-Habitat, while four million land documents had been digitised.

In the education and health sectors, Otti said his administration had built smart schools, recruited teachers and upgraded institutions including ABSU, ASCETA and Ogbonnaya Onu Polytechnic.

He disclosed that 821 healthcare workers were recruited, with 771 already deployed to hospitals and primary healthcare centres across the state.

According to him, over 93,000 residents have enrolled in the state health insurance scheme, while 277 primary healthcare centres have been retrofitted statewide.

“Out of the 277 healthcare centres retrofitted, 200 were handled by the state government while 77 were supported by the World Bank. So far, 121 of them are fully functionalised,” he said.

The governor added that reconstruction works were ongoing at General Hospitals in Ikwuano, Arochukwu, Okeikpe and Ohafia, while major upgrades were underway at Amachara and the Abia State University Teaching Hospital.

Otti maintained that his administration would remain focused on restoring the dignity of Abians through infrastructure renewal, fiscal responsibility and social justice.