Abia State Governor Alex Otti has announced plans to relocate the Ministry of Agriculture from its current offices in Umuahia to Umudike, where the Faculty of Agriculture of Abia State University is located.

Otti disclosed the plan on Sept. 23 during an unscheduled visit to the ministry’s headquarters on Bank Road, Umuahia, shortly after swearing in two new commissioners and a special adviser on agriculture.

The governor, accompanied by the commissioners for lands and agriculture, inspected facilities at the premises and expressed dissatisfaction with the condition of the buildings. He said the move would provide a more conducive environment to enhance productivity.

Otti added that the state government has also concluded plans to relocate the Faculty of Law from Umuahia back to the university’s permanent site in Uturu.

Ministry staff welcomed the announcement, expressing excitement at the governor’s visit.

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Igbo elders staged a peaceful protest on Wednesday at the Abia State Government House, urging Governor Alex Otti and other South East governors to press for the release of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), ahead of a court ruling on his detention.

The group, under the banner of the Igbo Elders Forum, warned that Kanu’s health is deteriorating in custody and accused authorities of denying him adequate medical care.

“We came to register our annoyance and our feelings. Our son is still in detention and is very sick yet they are denying him access to medical care. Why are they negotiating with armed robbers and bandits but still holding him?” spokesperson Emeka Ezebuiro told reporters outside the government house in Umuahia.

The elders said they would extend their appeal to other South East governors, insisting that a united stance could help secure Kanu’s release.

Separately, Igbo Think Tank North America alleged in a letter to Igbo governors and political leaders that a “silent genocide” was underway against Igbo youths, urging protection of communities from killings, invasions and destruction.

A Federal High Court in Abuja is expected to rule on Friday, Sept. 26, on a no-case submission filed by Kanu. The case, originally scheduled for October, was brought forward.

Kanu, arrested in 2021 after jumping bail in 2017, faces charges including terrorism. IPOB has long campaigned for an independent state in southeast Nigeria.

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The Executive Governor of Abia State, His Excellency, Dr. Alex Chioma Otti, OFR, on Tuesday, September 16th, received in his office, an Abia-born – Nigerian International Football player, Kenneth Omeruo, OON, MON, alongside his friend, the General Manager of the Rangers Football Club of Enugu, Amobi Ezeaku Esq. who paid him a courtesy and working visit.

Gov. Otti thanked Kenneth Omeruo for acknowledging the modest achievements of his administration and assured him of the readiness of the Government to collaborate with him to drive his talent hunt initiative as Abia youths are so talented and endowed in sports, academics, commerce, entrepreneurship, and innovation. He directed the Government team to sit down with Kenneth Omeruo and work out the details.

Earlier in his short address, Kenneth Omeruo informed Governor Otti that he had come to appreciate him for restoring the dignity of Abians. He told the Governor that he is so proud to be from Abia and has been using his social media handles to share and repost the good news from Abia, thanking him for bringing his professional touch to Abia.

Mr. Omeruo used the opportunity to intimate Governor Otti of his desire to give back to society through a talent hunt initiative he wants to launch in Abia State to identify young talented footballers who can be mentored and assisted to get into major clubs, especially in Europe and requested collaboration with the State.

In his vote of thanks, the General Manager of Rangers Football Club of Enugu, Bar. Amobi Ezeaku expressed his joy and excitement about the current quality of leadership with professional backgrounds in most South-East States, saying that he is so proud of the exploits of the Governors.

The meeting was attended by the Chief Strategy Officer, Mr. Chinenye Mba Uzoukwu, the Technical Assistant to the Governor, Mr. Charles Egonye and the Special Assistant to the Governor on Youth, Comrade Onyebuchi Chukwu.

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The Abia State Government has graduated the second batch of trainees from the Abia Leadership Academy, a flagship initiative designed to build a new generation of transformational leaders in the state and across Nigeria.

Speaking at the ceremony, Governor Alex Otti, OFR, emphasized that the programme was conceived to redirect young people toward positive citizenship and charged participants to embrace continuous learning, mentorship, and influence.

“Leadership is the ability to influence and drive outcomes. What we set out to do is to redirect our people—redirect our young ones, their vision, and their thinking. Gone are the days when youths are left to become thugs or indulge in drugs, cultism, and other vices,” Otti stated.

The Governor explained that the Leadership Academy is tied to his administration’s social reorientation agenda, adding that every graduate will be required to mentor at least one person monthly for the next 12 months. He further disclosed that a digital platform has been created to sustain networking and dialogue among alumni.

Chairman of the Abia Leadership Academy and Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Kenneth Kalu, described the vision as one of raising leaders who can create meaningful impact. Also speaking, Pastor Mrs. Eno Jerry-Eze, Chairman of the Civil Service Commission, noted that the academy is becoming a youth-driven movement aligned with the Governor’s “New Mind Economy” initiative.

Earlier, Lead Consultant and Programme Director, Mr. Johnson Abali, outlined the training methodology, which included group-based learning and practical sessions. Participants testified to the life-changing nature of the programme, describing it as a blueprint for Abia’s transformation.

The graduation ceremony was attended by parents, senior government officials, and well-wishers.

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Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, OFR, has called for an organised system to support reverse migration, saying that such policy would build confidence of Nigerian returnees from foreign countries.

Governor Otti stated this while receiving the Chief of Mission for the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) in Nigeria, Sharon Dimanche, who called on him at his office.

The State’s Chief Executive said that he has plans to collaborate with relevant Ministries to provide reintegration support for returnees, noting that many who wish to come back are often discouraged by uncertainty about where to begin their lives.

“Some of them may want to return, but they are afraid of where to even start from.

“If there are organised systems to receive them, I am confident it will encourage their return. The initiative is a form of reverse migration”, Gov. Otti stated.

Governor Otti, who reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to eradicating human trafficking and related crimes, maintained that his government has zero tolerance for any form of criminal activity.

“We have zero tolerance for any kind of criminal activity. Those who have decided to engage in crime have found out that this place is not comfortable for them.

“We are very focused on ensuring that all forms of crime and criminality are wiped away from this State. And human trafficking is one of them,” Gov. Otti stared.

While appreciating the International Organisation for Migration, Governor Otti underscored the significance of diaspora remittances, saying that it plays a vital role in supporting education, healthcare, and economic stability, among others.

He stressed the need for the IOM to collaborate with the Abia State Diaspora Commission, which regularly convenes stakeholders across America, Europe, Southeast Asia and beyond, in their annual December homecoming, and directed the Executive Secretary of the Commission to ensure he invites the IOM to the annual event.

Governor Otti mandated the Secretary to the State Government, Professor Kenneth Kalu to provide a temporary office space for the organisation immediately while a permanent office accommodation would be made available sooner than later.

Earlier, the Chief of Mission, International Organisation for Migration, Sharon Dimanche said that her organisation is interested in four immediate focus areas, including combating human trafficking, harnessing diaspora potential, supporting returnees through sustainable reintegration, and improving data management for migration governance.

While assuring that she is committed to working closely with Abia State in line with the government’s priorities, she commended Abia State Government for pioneering Diaspora Commission as as well as addressing the challenges of human trafficking, illegal migration among others and assured of technical support to the government.

“We are here to work. That work should start immediately.

“I want to see how we can consider establishing structures and mechanisms that would facilitate diaspora sending back money home and investing that in community infrastructure initiatives,” Dimanche stated.

The SSG, Commissioners for Finance, Budget & Planning, Poverty Alleviation, DG, PPP & IP, SA on Policy & Intervention, the Chief Strategy Officer, the Deputy Chief of Staff, the DG Gada and the SSA on Multilateral and Donor agencies among others were present in the meeting.

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