108

Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti, OFR, has charged members of his cabinet to keep doing their job with commitment to the new Abia agenda.

Governor Otti gave the charge on Saturday, February 28th, while declaring open the 2 – day First Quarter Retreat, organised by the Abia State Government for all political appointees under his Government, at the International Conference Centre, Ogurube – Umuahia, with the theme, “Accelerating Progress: Unlocking New Opportunities”.

Governor Otti said that it is true that lives have been improved and the people have seen remarkable improvements in their social and economic experiences under his administration, but maintained that there is need to stay focused and not to be ignorant of the political occurrences in the State.

The State Chief Executive noted that 2026 would be a very busy year for members of his cabinet, insisting that, no amount of noise, no matter the decibel, can be sufficient enough to take their attention away from the developments his government is anticipating in various sectors of the economy.

“My charge to you this morning, keep doing your job with assured diligence and firm commitment to the new Abia agenda.

“We have to stay focused, but again, it would equally amount to self-deceit to be ignorant or inattentive to the political occurrences around us.

“Evidently, this will be a very busy year for all of us. So, it is important that we prepare ourselves for the journey ahead.

“There will be, however, a lot of inadvertence, but no amount of noise, whatever the decibel, can be sufficient enough to take our attention away from the developments we want to see in our educational institutions, health ecosystems, and in the other critical sectors where we are planning to commit sums in excess of one trillion naira in the current fiscal year.

“The future of Abia must be prioritised over every other consideration, So, whatever would derail us from the goals that have been collectively agreed must be cast aside,” Gov. Otti stated.

The Governor said that he has been briefed by the retreat planning committee that the structure and tone for the retreat would enable wider participation and called on all appointees to take the retreat seriously.

“It is perhaps more imperative, that we listen to ourselves, engage respectfully, and stay open-minded.

“The tone of our interaction, it must be noted, is as significant as the message we wish to convey.

“So, this has not been set up to listen to personality clash, but to focus extensively on issues with direct relevance to the welfare of our people and the future of our State.

“To this end, it is critical that we understand our roles as stewards with a finite time frame to make the most of the opportunity that we have been given,” Gov. Otti stated.

Governor Otti stressed the need for all appointees to work together as a team because they either succeed or fail together, adding that they should see the broader picture at all times.

“The value of your office is not determined by a share of the budgetary provision, but by how the outputs add to the attainment of our overarching development.

“We should therefore be able to see the broader picture at all times, as I have explained this on numerous occasions. It is not for nothing that the infrastructural development projects kicked off from the most economically viable locations.

“We were deliberate in restarting the economy after years of dormancy, as you will agree with me. The impact of these investments are beginning to trickle in, as the average landlord, industrialist, and artisan in Aba, Umuahia, can testify.

“It is therefore important that we develop a holistic way of evaluating the reach of the investments happening through our various MDAs to be able to make projections that drive policy responses,” Gov. Otti stated.

Earlier in his welcome address, the Secretary to the State Government, Dr Emmanuel Meribeole said that the retreat came at a critical moment, when there is need for collective task of rebuilding and repositioning Abia for sustainable growth.

The SSG noted that since assumption of office, Governor Otti has made deliberate reform agenda in various sectors of the economy which is now visible but maintained that, such progresses made should not become a comfort zone, hence, the need for the retreat.

Dr Meribeole said that the theme of the retreat “Accelerating Progress: Unlocking New Opportunities” challenges each one to ask salient questions, saying that the retreat provides opportunity for participants to engage in honest introspection, strategic alignment and performance evaluation.

“It is also a moment to strengthen teamwork across Ministries, Departments and Agencies

“Governance succeeds not in silos but through coordination. I encourage all participants to engage actively in the discussions and share experiences openly, challenge assumptions constructively, and embrace new ideas that will strengthen service delivery,” Dr Meribeole stated.

The retreat, which featured various presentations, questions and answers, continues tomorrow, March 1st, 2026.

Ctz. UKOHA, NJOKU UKOHA
Chief Press Secretary to the Executive Governor of Abia State.
28 – 02 – 2026.