Abia Innovation Park, game changer in dealing with unemployment, says Information Commissioner 

 

Abia State Government says the State Government has attained an advanced stage in the actualisation of an innovation park in the State in an attempt to boost development and reduce the spate of unemployment among the teaming youths.

The Commissioner for Information, Okey Kanu said the move is in accordance with the promises of the Governor during the 2023 governorship campaigns in his bid to ameliorate the suffering of Abians through the creation of multiple employment opportunities.

The Commissioner disclosed that many Investors have begun to express interest to collaborate with the Alex Otti-led government to bring to the fore a functional Innovation Park in the State. 

“A lot of Investors are speaking to us and Abia suddenly is becoming a serious hub in the South East where a lot of people are keying up to come do one form of business or the other.

“That is what this government has brought about. So, a lot of investors are showing interest to partner with the government to establish this innovation park.

It’s an Innovation Park that will provide jobs for our teaming unemployed youths as well as providing development for the State.

Among the major components of the Park as enlisted by Hon Kanu are: “an incubation centre, manufacturing logistics, and power as well as a modular refinery”.

Hon Kanu further said “It’s an Innovation Park that will house an incubation centre, those in manufacturing logistics, power, Modula refineries and so on. All of them will form part of this Innovation Park”.

Furthermore, he used the medium to remind Abians that the Governor had, earlier, declared a ‘State of Emergency’ on Waste Disposal, adding that “a task force was set up in that regard”, he said, while commending the latter for their positive impacts within the fraction of time of their emergence.

Earlier, the information Commissioner expressed profound concern towards eradicating all factors that hamper the payment of pensions, as he assured that Otti’s government was working sedulously towards ensuring what he described as “100 percent pensions to retirees in the state.”

Kanu who could scarcely hide his remorse over the failure of the government to complete the payment of the last pension, attributed the same to the historical method adopted by the past administration,

He, therefore, assured that the method was being reviewed to ensure that a hundred percent of their emolument is paid subsequently.

On his part, Commissioner for Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Professor Joel Ogbonna, who blamed the high cost of petroleum products in the state on the nonfunctioning of Osisioma depot, said marketers in the state now source products from Lagos and Port Harcourt.

According to him, efforts are being made to fix the Osisioma-depot road as well as effect repairs on the Port Harcourt-Osisioma pipeline damaged by oil vandals and the ministry is setting up an effective monitoring team to ensure that people get quality product.

The Commissioner maintained that arrangement is being made to set up a modular refinery that will be housed within the innovation park.

Also speaking, the Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs. Ngozi Blessing Felix, said that the ministry has fixed the 13th of August for the annual Abia women delegates conference (AWADEC), pointing out it will draw over 2,000 participants from across the three senatorial zones of the state.

The programme, she stated, will, in turn, go back to their communities to impact all they learnt to the people on the grass root.

The Commissioner added that the event will feature the empowerment of vulnerable groups, while plans are in top gear to establish a sexual assault and referral centre to take care of victims of sexual assault and other violent acts for a better society