By IJENDU IHEAKA

Abia Government has inaugurated fresh Abia Economic Management Team, which will advise the government on the economic development-related matters.

The State Information Commissioner, Mr Okey Kanu, disclosed this while briefing journalists after the weekly Abia Executive Council meeting held at the Government House in Umuahia.

Kanu said that the team would be chaired by the Chief Economic Adviser to Abia Government, Dr Friday Ohuche, a seasoned development economist who is specialist in macroeconomics.

He said that Ohuche also an international economic professional with expertise in global international management, macro fiscal policy analysis had worked with the Central Bank of Nigeria and the World Bank.

According to him, the governor has urged the economic team to strive hard to provide the state with ideas that would aid economic development of the state.

Kanu said that the team comprised of the Commissioners for Finance, Mr Uwaoma Ukandu, Budget and Economic Planning, Mr Kingsley Anosike, Trade and Commerce, Mr Kingsley Nwokocha and the Accountant General, Mrs Njum Uma-Onyemenam.

Others members are; Chairman, Board of Internal Revenue, Prof. Udochukwu Ogbonna, Principal Secretary and Chief Strategy Officer to the Governor, Chinenye Mba-Uzoukwu and Technical Assistant to the Governor, Charles Egonye.

Kanu said that the state was collaborating with the International Solar Alliance (ISA) to develop regulations for the operation of mini-grids in the state.

He said that the move was in line with the government’s agenda to invest in the power sector and to attract private capital and generate investments through that sector.

He said that ISA, an inter-governmental treaty-based organisation with 123 member countries, assisted its members to deploy cost-effective and transformative energy solutions powered by the sun.

Kanu said with the signing of the state’s electricity law in 2025, the government was poised to fully explore the low demand of the state’s electricity value chain in order to drive industrialised growth.

“To this effect, the state government is participating in the Distributed Access to Renewable Energy Schedule (DAS).

“This is a 750 million dollar World Bank intervention and renewable energy development programme which the state will participate in to boost Abia’s electricity sector,’’ he said.

He said that the recruitment exercise for healthcare workers in Abia through the state civil service was progressing well.

“Following the closure of the application portal on Aug. 9, it has been established that a total of 1, 983 people applied.

“Of this number, 1,348 applicants have been shortlisted so far and the number may go up as the shortlisting has not yet ended.

“The CBT test for the shortlisted candidates will hold on Aug. 26 and 30, with successful candidates, interviewed between Sept. 2 and 16,’’ he said.

Kanu said that the Civil Service Commission had advertised for contract consultants, primary consultants and clinical officers and the application portal would close on Aug. 30.

He said that the State Environmental Protection Agency (ASEPA) was deploying 2.7-tonnes receptacles around Aba and Umuahia.

Kanu said that the 2.7 tonnes receptacle was smaller than the usual ones being deployed as solutions to obstructions on narrow roads.

He said that ASEPA had begun clean-up of some waterways in areas which include Golden Guinea and Modern Ceramics in Umuahia to prevent flooding.

Kanu said that the state would no longer tolerate detractors who publish falsehoods about its activities to mislead the public. (NAN)