The UN Habitat has given the Abia State Environmental Sanitation Agency (ASEPA) and Greater Aba Development Authority (GADA), a formal invitation to attend her conference coming up soon in Egypt.
The is sequel to breakthrough recorded by the two Abia agencies in Umuahia and Aba in cleanliness.
The invitation is for the agencies to come and tell the world how they arrived at making Aba, hitherto regarded as the dirtiest city in Nigeria, a shining light.
Okey Kanu, Commissioner for Information, disclosed this at Government House, Umuahia, while briefing journalists on the outcome of this week’s Executive Council Meeting presided over by Governor Otti.
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The Information Commissioner said that the recognition of ASEPA by UN Habitat was a result of the giant strides recorded by the agency in keeping Aba, Umuahia and Ohafia clean.
“To further give vent to the appreciable achievement recorded by ASEPA, UN Habitat has invited GADA and ASEPA to a Conference in Egypt. They want to come and tell the Abia story of success in waste disposal in Aba and Umuahia,” Kanu noted.
“Government is happy that people outside the country are appreciative of what Governor Otti is doing in the state,” Kanu said.
He said that with the declaration of state of emergency on refuse disposal on assumption of office by Governor Otti, ASEPA had been doing a great job of keeping Aba, and Umuahia clean.
“The Lokpanta market and abattoir are currently being cleaned up by ASEPA under its “Clean Up Abia” initiative programme,” Kanu disclosed.
Ogbonnaya Okereke, general manager, ASEPA, in his contribution, disclosed that the state government had performed well in general cleanliness of the entire state in 17 months.
“Abia has been identified today as a model of the movement from a dirty to clean state. We have been invited to the UN forum to come and tell the story first hand.
The Information boss disclosed that the Abia workers would in a couple of days, start receiving alert for N70,000 minimum wage.
He noted that payment of the minimum wage was in line with the governor’s commitment to the welfare of the workers.
“Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the state government will commence the payment of the new minimum wage this October.
“Governor Alex Otti is committed to paying that minimum wage because of his disposition towards the welfare of our workers. There is now hope that within the next couple of days everything being equal, payment of minimum wage will commence,” Kanu stated.
He hinted that the state government had earmarked nine new road projects for construction and reconstruction across the three senatorial zones of the state.
He said that six of the proposed roads were for construction, while the remaining three would be for reconstruction.
The roads, according to the commissioner, are; reconstruction of the 5.5 km Onuimo-Abia Tower of Peace Umuahia; construction of the 7.15 km Onu Inyang-(Bende) Okporoenyi-Oboro-Ikwuano road section one, construction of the
Onu Inyang-6.8km Okporoenyi-Oboro-Ikwuan,section two; reconstruction of the 11.5 Ntigha-Nbawsi- Umuala road (Isiala Ngwa North), and reconstruction of the 11.1 km Obehe- Umudiabia-Owaza road (Ukwa West).
Others are: construction of the 11.27 km Mbala-Umuaku-Ngodo road in Umunneochi, 2.21km Umuogo-Nsukwe-Ubakala Ring Road Umuahia South, the construction of the 12.6 km Ohanze-Ntighauzo-Obete-Akirika Oburu Obingwa and Ukwa East and the construction of the 6.9 Umuopara Ring Road, Umuahia South.
He added that two more road projects had been completed in line with the zero-pothole initiative of the state government bringing the total number of roads maintained so far to 127.
The commissioner went on to inform the press that the state government had started the dualisation of the Owerrinta-Umuika road.
Sunny Onwuma, Commissioner for Labour and Productivity, and Ferdinand Ekeoma, Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity, were present during the briefing.
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