NEWS
Gov. Alex Otti Orders Immediate Resolution of Bottlenecks, Insists on April Flag-Off as Abia Moves to Fast-Track ABSIID Projects After ₦2 Billion Counterpart Funding
The Executive Governor of Abia State, His Excellency, Dr Alex Chioma Otti, OFR, has taken decisive steps to unlock all bottlenecks hindering the commencement of the Abia State Integrated Infrastructural Development (ABSIID) projects, directing immediate resolution of all issues to accelerate implementation across the State, following the payment of a ₦2 billion counterpart fund.
The Governor made this known on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, while receiving a high-level delegation from the Federal Ministry of Finance and the African Development Bank, who were in the State to explore strategies for fast-tracking the execution of the ABSIID projects.
In a firm and proactive stance, Governor Otti assured the delegation of his administration’s readiness to ensure immediate progress, mandating his Chief of Staff to join the ABSIID implementation team and provide him with weekly progress reports to ensure close monitoring and accountability.
The Governor rejected proposed timelines suggesting a mid-year flag-off of the project, insisting instead on an April commencement, attributing previous delays not to funding challenges but to gaps in communication and inadequate updates to his office.
“Everything that needs to be done from our side, should be done, it’s not finance. Finance (Ministry) doesn’t have anything to do with it at this stage. That’s why they are not in this meeting.
“Thank you once again for this visit. I really appreciate it and if you didn’t come, I wouldn’t know that the problem is us.
“So, we are going to solve this problem.
“And you are talking of flag-off in the middle of the year. No, Whatever it takes, we must flag-off in April.
“So, it’s not in our best interest that we are not making progress. So, I can assure you that from now on, you will see progress.
“So, I’m going to sit with them (ABSIID officials), and we are going to resolve all these issues. They are non-issues, we can deal with them. We want to start, latest by April,
“Nobody knows when the rains will come, and nobody knows how long the rains are going to be. So, whatever be the case, let’s just start,“ Governor Otti stated.
Governor Otti further expressed concern over the lack of accurate and timely information reaching his office, noting that he had previously been misinformed about the source of delays.
“Clearly, I have not been getting the right messages and the right situational report. I have been asking, and then all the report I got was that the problem is with ABSIID, the Federal Ministry, the Bank.
“I shouldn’t be hearing some of these things, because clearly, we’ve not done very well in giving feedback.
“In fact, at some point, I was wishing and I said, the rains will soon return.
“So, we’ve lost the whole of the dry season.
“Because I know clearly that once you have paid the counterpart fund, which we have paid, you can go to sleep,“ Governor Otti said.
Earlier, the leader of the delegation and representative of the Federal Ministry of Finance, Dr Mrs. Oyebola Akande, commended the Abia State Government for the prompt release of the ₦2 billion counterpart funding, emphasizing that the visit was aimed at strengthening collaboration to accelerate project delivery.
“So, our mission here today is to see how we can accelerate this project. The State has a role to play, the Federal government has a role to play, while the bank also has a role to play,“ Mrs Akande stated.
She, however, stressed the urgency of fast-tracking processes, noting that two out of the five years allocated for the project implementation had already been lost, and called for the Governor’s intervention in addressing bureaucratic delays within the State Ministry of Finance.
Also speaking, the representative of the African Development Bank, Sheila Akyza, reiterated the Bank’s commitment to supporting the State in ensuring the timely execution of the project, describing ABSIID as a landmark initiative and one of the most impactful development opportunities attracted to the State under Governor Otti’s leadership.
The meeting had in attendance the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Pst. Caleb Ajagba, Ph.D, and the Commissioner for Works, Engr. Don Otumchere Oti, alongside other key stakeholder
s involved in the project implementation.