Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has assured of his administration’s readiness to partner with multilateral organisations to reconstruct and rehabilitate 248.46 kilometres of roads in the State.
Otti gave the assurance, Wednesday, when he received a delegation from the Federal Ministry of Finance, led by Oyebola Akande, an assistant director in the ministry, on a working visit to the State.
The Federal Ministry of Finance team were in Abia to ascertain the State’s readiness to take part in the Integrated Infrastructure Development Project.
ABSIIDP is a multi-sector endeavour that aims to contribute to the socio-economic development and poverty alleviation in Abia State, through the reconstruction of priority roads in Aba and Umuahia; intervention on gully erosion sites in Umuahia and Obingwa; and solid waste management system intervention in Umuahia and Aba.
The project is to be executed under the Abia State Integrated Infrastructure Development Project (ABSIIDP), coordinated by the office of Odinaka Eric Eme, Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the Governor, on Multilateral and Donor Agencies.
Otti expressed the eagerness of the Abia State Government to take part in the project, describing it as important, considering the number of communities that ASIIDP would touch.
“If it requires leveraging, whatever, we have to raise the fund, we will raise the fund, because we believe that it is better to do what we have to do now than wait for tomorrow because you will still spend the money. If you wait till tomorrow you will spend more.
“For us, it makes more sense even if we have to borrow today to deliver the dividends of democracy to our people and then we will think of how to repay in due cause”.
Akande commended Governor Otti for the work he is doing in Abia State within the short period he assumed office.
“When we were coming to the city we saw the work you are doing. I was impressed because if you come into governance and within or less than one year you have moved to the site, it shows that you really want to affect the people of Abia”, she said.
Akande told the Governor that Abia stood to benefit much more if the State keyed into the infrastructural development project.
“I do not have any doubt that this project will add value to your administration because the road is essential. Without roads we can’t really do much. Those roads we believe will add value to the government and to the people of Abia State”, she explained.
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