Abia tackling insecurity, building infrastructure to curb migration – Otti

…Pledges partnership with multilateral, donor agencies to move Abia forward

From Boniface Okoro, Umuahia

Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti, has said that the state government was addressing insecurity and building infrastructure as part efforts to curb irregular migration.

According to the Governor, his administration was focusing on infrastructural development of the state to drive its vision of job creation and reducing the level of unemployment among the people.

He further noted that his adminstration was at the forefront of addressing insecurity through job creation, adding that Abia state, under the present adminstration, was actively engaged in 21st century opportunities that would create an enabling environment for businesses to thrive.

Governor Otti made this known when he received a delegation of the International Organisation For Migration (IOM), led by the representative of the Mission to Nigeria, Mr. Victor Lutenco, who was on a working visit to Abia. 

The International Organisation for Migration is an inter-governmental organisation that works to uphold the rights and well-being of migrants, foster greater understanding of migration issues and support the sustainable development of communities.

The Governor, while noting that the state government was supporting SMEs to do more, added that government was creating infrastructure that would make it difficult for people to leave the state.

He listed road infrastructure, electricity, social infrastructure, healthcare delivery system across the three senatorial zones of the state as some of the steps taken by his government to check irregular migration.

“Abia has 51% unemployment and our major solution is to create jobs for the people. You cannot create jobs with infrastructural decay, lack of ease of doing business,” Governor Otti said.

He assured that the state government would do all within its powers to create opportunity for the people to do well in the state and compete favourably in the global job market, adding that Public Private Partnership was the way to go as it reinforces confidence of the people in any given system.

The Governor told his guests that his adminstration was committed to partnering with multi lateral and donor agencies on ways to move the state forward, assuring them that his administration would support them in all aspects.

He therefore requested the IOM to consider setting up an  office in the state, considering the centrality of Abia to other South East/South South states who would also benefit from the Services of the organisation.

Earlier, the leader of the delegation, Mr. Victor Lutenco, had disclosed that they came to Abia because they found the Governor as an embodiment of trust and the new face of development and used the opportunity to seek partnership with the state towards achieving its objectives.  

According to Lutenco, one of the priorities of IOM was maximising the contribution of migration to development, pointing out that in the context of the Governor’s transformation agenda, the work of IOM could be highly relevant and complementary.

He said the organisation assists in the development of policies and strategies for effective migration management, promote linkages between migration and development, plays crucial role in providing humanitarian aid to migrants in crisis situation and to displaced population, among other services.

According to a statement by the Chuef. Press Secretary to the Governor, zKazie Uko, the Governor Otti was joined in the meeting by some top government functionaries and members of the State Executive Council, among who were the Chief of Staff, Dr. Caleb Ajagba; the Principal Secretary to the Governor/Chief Strategy Officer, Mr. Chinenye Mba-Uzoukwu; the Commissioner for Women Affairs, Ngozi Blessing Felix; Mr. Odinakachi Eric Eme, Senior Special Assistant on Multilateral and Donor Agencies; Mrs. Ifeoma Thomas, Special Assistant to the Governor on Poverty Alleviation and Vulnerable Groups; and Mr. Chukwunenye Alajemba, Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Homeland Security.