Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti, has assured residents that the long-dilapidated Uratta and Old Express roads in Aba will soon be flagged off for total reconstruction.
Governor Otti gave the assurance on Sunday while speaking at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Umuogor, Aba, during the church’s thanksgiving Mass.
The governor also announced that the Umuebeke road, leading to the church, had been awarded for total reconstruction, to improve access and ease difficulties faced by residents and businesses in the area.
While recalling the experience of property owners along Port Harcourt Road before the road’s reconstruction, governor Otti warned that owners along Uratta and Old Express roads might soon regret selling their properties cheaply because of the poor state of the roads.
He said the ongoing rehabilitation and reconstruction of major roads in Aba would enhance the value of properties and stimulate economic activities across the city.
On the request for additional polling units closer to residents in the area, governor Otti said the matter had been overtaken by the electoral timetable, but assured that it would be addressed during the ward delineation exercise scheduled for next year.
On the church’s request for support for its land project, the governor said he would collaborate with industrialist, Ide John Udeagbara, to facilitate the project.
He, however, clarified that such support would not be funded with public resources, stressing that government funds were reserved for government projects.
The governor also pledged to support the church’s offering for the construction of a home for retired priests of the parish.
Speaking on the sermon delivered by the parish priest on forgiveness, Governor Otti noted the importance of forgiveness saying that God sometimes allows people to encounter those who offend them in order to teach them valuable lessons and prepare them for the future.
He urged the congregation to forgive those who wrong them, stressing that holding on to grievances could be detrimental to one’s wellbeing and spiritual growth.
The governor thanked the church for its consistent support for his administration and its expression of support for his re-election bid in 2027.
Earlier, the parish priest, Rev. Fr. Brendan Obiji, in his homily, urged Christians to embrace forgiveness, stressing its importance in maintaining peace and strengthening relationships.
Fr. Obiji also commended Governor Otti for the reconstruction of the long-abandoned Port Harcourt Road, pointing out that the project had helped restore economic activities and improve the livelihood of residents in the area.
The priest expressed confidence in Governor Otti’s re-election in 2027 and appealed for the creation of polling units closer to the people in the area, noting that the community had a sizeable voting population.
He also appealed to the governor to assist the church with its land development project.
In his remarks, an elder of the church, Chief Peter Nwosu thanked governor Otti for visiting the parish and pledged the continued support of its members for his administration.
Chief Nwosu said the church would mobilise support for the governor’s re-election in 2027 in recognition of what he described as his administration’s achievements and commitment to the development and wellbeing of Abia residents.
