Abia state Governor, Dr Alex Otti will on Wednesday, flag off the reconstruction of the 41.4 kilometer Arochukwu-Ohafia Federal road which has remained nightmare to motorists and commuters for a long period now.
The Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu who disclosed this while briefing Journalists on the outcome of this week’s Exco meeting presided over by the Governor Alex Otti, explained that the aim is to provide comfort and convenience to Abians.
Price Kanu also announced that the Abia State Government is to embark on a comprehensive upgrade and retrofitting of the Amachara General Hospital and Abia Specialist Hospital Umuahia.
The Commissioner for Information noted that this will enable the facilities offer expanded scope of high quality Medicare in special areas including internal medicine, cardiology, neurology, surgical services, general brain and spine surgeries among others.
He pointed out that the project will come on stream within 15 weeks, revealing that both facilities and structures in the two health institutions would be affected.
The Commissioner also announced the approval of the Abia Integrated Water Sanitation and Hygiene Accelerated Programme which includes the upgrade of water facilities and water treatment, adding that 10 solar powered facilities across the three senatorial zones of the state will be installed.
Adding his voice, the Commissioner for Health, Prof Enoch Ogbonnaya Uche said the complete overhaul of the Abia Specialist Hospital and Amachara General Hospital is designed to elevate the health institutions to centers of excellence in various medical specialties.
He revealed that the state government has approved funds for the recruitment of high-caliber specialists across various medical fields to ensure that Abia people receive the best in terms of quality healthcare services.
Contributing, the Commissioner for Power and Public Utilities,Mr Ikechukwu Monday, the state has also embarked on Abia Integrated Water Sanitation and Hygiene Accelerated Programme initiatives to address water supply issues, which are critical to public health.
According to him, the initiative conceived as a coordinated, three-phase programme will see existing boreholes retrofitted with solar power systems, particularly in rural areas, to ensure consistent water supply without reliance on the power grid.
“When we took office, we assessed all the water facilities in the state and found that none of the 58 core water facilities was producing even a liter of water” he stated.
Mr. Monday also announced plans to improve sanitation and hygiene across the state, stressing that the state “aims to achieve zero open defecation and would construct modern, solar-powered public sanitation facilities, including washrooms and toilets, across the three senatorial zones”.
