36,000 Teacher Applicants Set for Computer-Based Examination – Otti

No fewer than 36,000 applicants have applied for teaching positions in Abia State while 24,000 who were shortlisted are set to sit for a Computer-Based Examination as part of the state government’s efforts to reposition the education sector.

Governor Alex Otti disclosed this on Friday during a media parley tagged “Governor Alex Otti Speaks to Abians” held at the Banquet Hall of Government House, Umuahia.

He stated that the recruitment process would be merit-based and transparent, ensuring that only qualified teachers are engaged.

The governor recalled that upon assumption of office, his administration declared a state of emergency in health, sanitation and infrastructure, noting that significant progress has been recorded across the sectors.

In healthcare, he said Phase One of the Ekwueme Project is nearing completion, with 200 primary healthcare centres retrofitted across the state. While some of the facilities are yet to be fully operational, Otti explained that the delay is due to the government’s insistence on recruiting competent health professionals. He expressed confidence that all the centres would become functional within the next six months.

He further revealed that a United States-based firm, Quantum Medical, has been engaged to train health personnel and strengthen service delivery. Digital healthcare services, he added, have already commenced in some hospitals, while the measles-rubella vaccination campaign launched earlier in the year has benefited a large number of residents.

On workers’ welfare, Otti said the government has commenced payment of arrears of leave allowances. He also disclosed that his administration met with former councillors who served between 1999 and 2015 and is working out modalities to pay their gratuities in phases.

Speaking on economic development, the governor announced approval for the establishment of an SME Village in Aba, which will focus on the sale and repair of phones and computers. The project will be executed in collaboration with Ogbonnaya Onu Polytechnic.

He added that the state has completed the acquisition of Afro Beverages and has begun receiving Expressions of Interest from investors, as well as for Star Paper Mill, to revivecreatepanies and create employment opportunities. According to him, the government intends to hand the firms over to competent private sector operators rather than manage them directly.

On the Abia Airport project at Nsulu, the governor said compensation payments to affected landowners have resumed. Out of about 10,000 claimants, approximately 6,000 have been paid so far. He assured that all eligible claimants would receive their compensation, noting that the Commissioner for Lands and Housing has been directed to oversee the process.

Otti also announced plans for a 250-room Enyimba-Radisson Hotel with a conference centre and leisure park, and disclosed that construction of a general hospital in Ukwa East has been flagged off, alongside ongoing improvements in secondary healthcare facilities across the state.

He further stated that efforts are underway to restore electricity supply in Ohafia and Bende, with directives already issued for power restoration in Ukwa East following his recent visit.

The governor reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to sustainable development, promising continued reforms aimed at improving the welfare of Abians.