* To ban road side trading in Aba, other cities
The Abia State government has declared that the recovery of public lands and assets converted to private use in Aba and other parts of the State is to be enforced soon.
The Commissioner for Information and Culture, Mr. Okey Kanu, said this while briefing journalists at the Government House in Umuahia after Monday’s Executive Council meeting presided over by Governor Alex Otti.
He said the government is committed to recovering all its assets illegally converted by individuals and groups.
According to him, in the coming days, the government will also begin the enforcement of the ban on street trading in Aba and other cities. The commissioner said the ban will elongate the life of the newly constructed roads and ease traffic.
Kanu also said the government has secured approval from the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria to commence a Nursing and Midwifery programme. The Commissioner said that by the approval, Abia State can now increase its yearly number of Nurses and Midwives to attend to the health needs of Abians.
He also announced plans to provide financial support to those affected by the Ovom flooding disaster, adding that measures are being adopted to bring a lasting solution to the erosion menace around Ovom and other places in Aba.
Throwing more light on the health sector of the State, the Commissioner for Health, Dr Ngozi Okoronkwo, said that the approval granted to the State by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria will help the State increase manpower in the health sector while efforts would made to get necessary legislative backings to convert the programme to Abia State College of Nursing and Midwifery.
Dr Okoronkwo also noted that Abia has been included among the six states to participate in the first phase of the health programne under the Centre for Disease Control which will provide Abia the leverage to benefit from so many health packages of the Federal government.
Also, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Trade, Commerce and Industry, Chief Nwaka Inem said that the Vision of the administration of Governor Alex Otti is to return the State to the glorious era of industrialisation by bringing back to life over 40 moribund industries in the State.