No More Neglect of Abia’s Oil Bearing Communities, Says Otti

•Flags-off reconstruction of 11.1km Owaza-Obehie road

Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Umuahia

Governor Alex Otti has rekindled the hope of Abia’s oil producing communities, saying the era of neglect has come to its end as the area is now readied for accelerated development.

He gave the assurance yesterday when he flagged-off reconstruction of the 11.1 kilometre Obehie-Umudobia-Owaza road in Ukwa West Local Government, saying the road would be ready in 12 months.

The oil bearing communities of Abia are located in Ukwa West, an area which has over the years been receiving the short end of the stick in terms of development.

But speaking at St. Ann Secondary School, Obehie Asa, venue of the flag-off event, Otti said that Ukwa would witness significant changes in due course.

“This project is therefore not just about creating access to the towns and villages along these corridor, it is more about reviving dormant economic assets, opening new horizons and reigniting the dreams that once stirred the souls of our fathers,” he said.

According to him, the completion of the Obehie-Owaza road which links the communities in Ukwa West would boost marketability and viability of the Abia Industrial and Innovative Park(AIIP).

In addition, the governor said the establishment of a modular refinery, which according to him, the federal government has approved, would further bring development to the oil-producing area.

He said the planned modular refinery to be cited inside the AIIP at Owaza, Ukwa West LG “will be built by H.I.S. Refinery and Petrochemical Company Limited”.

“I’ll like to inform you that just a few days ago, we got the good news that the federal government has approved a modular refinery which would be cited inside the AIIP,” he told the cheering crowd.

Otti gave assurance his government would provide “every support we can give” we work together to create a robust industrial cluster that will accelerate the rapid socio-economic development of the area and fast track the restoration of the years that has been lost to poor leadership”.

“Today, we officially declare that the era of neglect of Ukwa and all the communities within the land is over.

“Ukwa shall no longer be a forgotten place. Your land will yield forth its best fruits and your barns shall never be empty again. You will enjoy the riches of the environment and the oil in your land shall bring you boundless prosperity,” he said .

Otti further assured the oil communities that they “will not only get what is due (them) at the resource allocation table” but would enjoy the benefits of the interventionist agencies.

To this end, Otti said that various levers of his administration “shall collaborate extensively” with the Abia State Oil Producing Area Development Commission(ASOPADEC), Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), among others “to restore the years that have been lost to the politics of exclusion and deceit”.

Otti granted a number of requests made by community leaders in their respective addresses, saying that the Umuzike – Obokwe – Ngwaiyiekwe road would soon be flagged-off for reconstruction as contained in the 2025 budget.

He promised to restore electricity to Asa land before the end of this March and directed the Commissioner for Power and Public Utilities, Mr. Ikechukwu Monday, to visit the area and find out all what it would take to restore electricity in the area.

On the issue of potable water, the Abia governor said that he has already put in place modalities to solve the water problem in many Abia communities, adding that he had declared a state of emergency in the water sub-sector.