Abia: We shall strengthen agric reforms to achieve food security -Otti
By Ndukaku Ihe
Governor Otti
Abia State Governor, Alex Otti has expressed his determination to deploy immediate social interventions and long-term sustainable solutions to guarantee food security in the state.
In his monthly media chat at the Government House, Umuahia, Otti assured that his administration would reposition the agriculture sector in the state.
The governor urged the citizens to move beyond social interventions, such as the provision of farming implements and interest-free loans.
He said that while such initiatives have so far supported farmers, he believed that sustainable food security required transitioning from subsistence farming to commercial agriculture.
His words: “We must begin to see agriculture as a business, if we truly want to guarantee food security, interest-free loans are helpful, but they don’t go so far.
“We are working on strategies to ensure a more effective deployment of resources for maximum impact in the agriculture sector.”
He said that his administration had started exploring new strategies to scale up commercial farming and optimising resource allocation across the state.
Otti revealed that the state government had made significant progress in clearing salary arrears owed staff at the Dr Ogbonnaya Onu Polytechnic, Aba.
He said that efficient measures had been put in place to identify staff members that were disengaged by the previous administration and those who did not return after being called back.
The governor said the measure was to ensure that only eligible persons received their outstanding payments, adding that his government inherited 34- month salary arrears and has so far cleared 18 months.
He assured that payments would continue on a structured basis, with arrears being disbursed on the 28th of every month, alongside regular salaries.
Otti also gave reasons behind government’s decision to relocate the Faculties of Agriculture and Law of the Abia State University, Uturu from Umuahia back to the main campus in Uturu.
He explained that the decision was informed by the need to promote sustainable development of the institution, adding that the relocation followed months of evaluation by a visitation panel, which submitted a report based on verifiable data.
He said the state government subsequently accepted the recommendations from the report and issued a White Paper endorsing the relocation.
Otti, however, announced an extension of the timeline for the relocation of both faculties to June to allow for the completion of the building of necessary infrastructure.
He said: “The decision was well-studied and well-intentioned, because we want the university to function as a university and not as a multi-campus institution.”
Otti said that while Uturu possessed the necessary resources to support Agriculture and Law studies, the relocation aligned with the government’s broader vision for ABSU.
He added that the decision was in the best interest of the university’s long-term development plan.
