The Abia State Government has postponed the resumption date for public and private schools for the 2024/2025 academic session.
The new resumption date is now Wednesday, September 23, instead of Monday, September 16, as originally planned.
Prince Okey Kanu, the Commissioner for Information, announced this change during a press briefing in Umuahia after this week’s Executive Council meeting. He explained that the postponement was due to a Muslim holiday that coincided with the initial date.
In addition to the resumption date change, Kanu announced that the second batch of training for teachers would start on September 11 and end on September 20. This training will take place at three centres: Aba, Umuahia, and Ohafia, with a target of 1,800 teachers. He noted that this training is part of the government’s ongoing efforts to improve the education sector. “Over 200 teachers were trained in the first batch as part of the protocols for school resumption,” Kanu said.
Kanu also announced a 90-day grace period for property owners in Aba to register their properties at the old rates. This moratorium applies to owners whose properties are not yet registered. “If they have to pay for it at the new rate, they would complain, but the governor had directed that they pay at the old rate as a way of encouraging them to go ahead and obtain the certificates,” Kanu explained.
The Director General of the Greater Aba Development Authority, Mr. Uche Ukaeje, praised the governor’s decision. “What the Governor did was to pardon the affected property owners and allow them to only pay the old fees but within 90 days. It was a Christmas gift to them,” he said.
The Commissioner also shared that Abia State had been chosen as one of the six states to represent Nigeria at an international medical symposium in Ghana. This program, a joint effort between the World Bank and Nigeria, is called HOPE, which stands for Human Capital Opportunity for Prosperity and Equity. Abia was selected due to its ongoing health sector reforms.
Regarding the ongoing Light Up Abia Initiative, Kanu reported that 4,346 solar lights had been installed in 86 locations across the state. He explained, “This is in fulfilment of the need to make the towns and cities in the state more comfortable for residents and to improve security in our state.”
The Commissioner also announced that the Abia Electricity Bill had passed its second reading at the State House of Assembly and expressed hope for its swift passage once the House members resume from recess. “The passage of the bill will give further impetus to the ongoing reforms in the power sector in the state,” he noted.
Echoing this sentiment, the Commissioner for Power and Public Utilities, Ikechukwu Monday, called the Abia Electricity Bill a “masterstroke” that will transform the state’s power sector. He added, “When it comes into effect, this law will give us the mandate to establish the Abia State Electricity Regulatory Authority. It will also give us the mandate to establish the Abia State Rural Electrification Agency.”
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Ukoha Njoku Ukoha, emphasized that Governor Alex Otti’s administration aims to “change the narrative and put the state on the path of development.”
