The Abia State Government has announced a postponement in the resumption date for both public and private schools for the 2024/2025 academic session. The Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, revealed during a press briefing following the Executive Council meeting in Umuahia that the shift was due to a coinciding Muslim holiday. Schools, initially scheduled to resume on Monday, September 16, will now reopen on Wednesday, September 23.
Kanu also announced that the second batch of teacher training will commence on September 11 and conclude on September 20. This training, targeting 1,800 teachers, will be held at three centers: Aba, Umuahia, and Ohafia. He highlighted that this initiative is part of the government’s ongoing education reform agenda, with over 200 teachers already trained in the first phase as a protocol for school resumption.
Additionally, the commissioner disclosed that the government had granted a 90-day moratorium for property owners in Aba to register their unregistered landed properties at the old rate. This decision reflects the governor’s compassionate approach, allowing property owners to avoid paying at the new, higher rate. Kanu emphasized that this policy was introduced to encourage compliance with property registration laws.
Supporting the decision, Uche Ukaeje, Director General of the Greater Aba Development Authority, noted that the governor had waived penalties for property owners who built without approvals, allowing them to register at the old rate, which he referred to as a “Christmas gift.”
Furthermore, Kanu announced that Abia State has been selected as one of six states to represent Nigeria at an international medical symposium in Ghana. This honor is attributed to ongoing reforms in the state’s health sector under the Human Capital Opportunity for Prosperity and Equity (HOPE) initiative, a collaboration between the World Bank and Nigeria.
On infrastructure, Kanu highlighted the success of the “Light Up Abia Initiative,” which has installed 4,346 solar lights across 86 locations to enhance security and improve living conditions. He also mentioned that the Abia Electricity Bill had passed its second reading in the State House of Assembly, a move expected to strengthen the state’s power sector reforms. Commissioner for Power and Public Utilities, Ikechukwu Monday, described the bill as a transformative step that will enable the government to regulate and own power assets, potentially establishing the Abia State Electricity Regulatory Authority and the Abia State Rural Electrification Agency.
Chief Press Secretary Ukoha Njoku Ukoha emphasized that Governor Alex Otti’s administration is committed to driving the state towards sustainable development and progress.