Abia State governor, Alex Otti, has confirmed that the government will soon make a pronouncement on a new retirement age for nurses from 60 years to 65 years.
Otti announced this on Friday night during his monthly interactive session with newsmen at the Government House in Umuahia.
He said the measure is part of the government’s resolve to revamp the health sector, being one of the priority areas of his administration.
He said the government has already extended the retirement age of teachers from 60 years to 65 years.
Also, the governor said that the government has concluded arrangements to set up a state-of-the-art medical city.
Otti said the committee for the project has been set up and the location already identified.
He said the government would collaborate with two groups of international medical missions, namely: Extended Hands and Lifted Hands organisations to realise the project.
“We are committing everything to it because it is going to be one of our signature projects.
“The whole idea is to reverse medical tourists into Abia,” Otti said.
He further said that the government under his watch has so far been able to operate without borrowing any money.
According to him, the government has quite a few offers that are tempting and we believe that at the appropriate time it will access them.
“We are working on African Development Bank and Islamic Development Bank Group facilities.
“The terms are generous and we believe that when we need them we will be able to access any of them.
“I can say that the state of the state is healthy, but we will continue to keep our eye on the ball,” the governor said.
He also spoke on the modest achievements so far made in different sectors of the State, including agriculture.
He said that government has successfully recovered the palm, rubber, cocoa and other plantations, which were concessioned to private individuals by previous administrations.
The governor thanked the residents of the state for their support and urged them to sustain it toward building a new Abia.
– NAN