Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State has assured that the content of the report of the state post-COVID-19 recovery Committee will form the key pedestal upon which it will launch into a new economic world.
Governor Ikpeazu, who said this while receiving the report of the committee headed by elder statesman, Professor Anya O. Anya, at his Umuobiakwa country home, restated his vision and commitment towards launching Abia into a new economic order, that will be self-sustaining.
The Governor thanked Professor Anya O. Anya for his level of commitment to the development of the state and noted that the greatest of the state remains the ingenuity of Ndi Abia.
He recalled the role played by tailors in Aba in the mass production of locally made facemasks as their own way of supporting the government in containing the Covid-19 pandemic, and promised that a convocation of Abia elites will take place to chart the best way of implementing the report to its fullest.
Ikpeazu equally restated commitment to repositioning the state civil service as an enabler for greater productivity, adding that he only wants to be remembered by the quality of infrastructure put in place and not just the number of roads built during his time.
He noted that Abia as of today remains the only State providing health care services to Abians leveraging the Tele-Health Initiative, adding that the performance of Abia children in national examinations also speaks volume of his huge investment in the education sector, especially with retraining of teachers and provision of critical school infrastructure.
Speaking also, the chairman of the committee, Professor Anya O. Anya stressed the need for Abia to embrace the opportunities provided by the Covid-19 pandemic and leverage on the areas where the state has comparative advantage.
Professor Anya while noting that Abia has produced many great leaders in history, said that the performance of Abia children in national examinations is a confirmation that the state has all it takes to challenge the world in the competitive global arena.
The former University Don and national award winner also called on the Government to invest in human capacity and capability development so as to be able to fit into the challenges and innovations of the 21st century.
He called for a system where the pursuit of excellence, truth, innovation and high quality of education will be the order of the day, adding that Governor Okezie Ikpeazu must have been inspired by God to set up the committee.
Also present at the meeting was the Special Adviser to the Governor on Diaspora Matters, Dr Ngozi Ogbonna-Erondu, the secretary of the committee, Dr Mrs Nnenna Chikezie, Chief Chris Odinaka Igwe, and Mr Eze Ajuzie.
