Abia plans initiative to boost locally produced goods

The Abia State Government has announced plans to introduce a new economic and business policy framework that will promote  Made-in-Abia products in furtherance of the state’s local content law.

The state Commissioner for Information, Okey Kanu, stated this on Monday in Umuahia, the state capital, while briefing journalists on this week’s State Executive Council meeting presided over by Governor Alex Otti.

He said the  details of the new Made-in-Abia products policy would be made public in the coming weeks and months,

He said, “This policy, when fully operational, would make it possible that all goods and services obtainable in the state would not be procured from outside the state.

“This is a bold reaction to the unraveling of both the national and global economies and the resultant economic headwinds and headline inflation prevalent in the country.

“As a forward-thinking government, the  Abia State Government is deliberate about the management of its local economy to boost the production of goods and services responsible for the overall health of the state’s economy”.

He recalled that Otti recently played host to a group from Ethnorcentrique Limited, an indigenous company involved in the promotion of handmade fabrics, particularly the Akwete fabric, where he promised to promote it and its use in the state.

Kanu added that the new policy framework that centres around the purchase of Made-in-Abia goods has been put together to promote such goods and services.

He also revealed that the state government has conducted the  final part  of the teachers recruitment exercise, which involved the verification of certificates and oral interviews.

He said that about 7,000 applicants who scored 45 percent and above, along with 180 persons with disabilities, were shortlisted and interviewed.

He said, “Candidates who scored between 40 and 44 percent were placed on a reserve list, to address the possible short falls that may arise due to absenteeism or disqualification.

“It is worthy to note that a 30-man panel compromising six professors, 16 PhD holders and very senior educationists from Abia State  University, Uturu, Micheal Okpara University, Umudike, the Colleges of Education in the state, retired permanent secretaries, etc participated in the interview.

“It is an indication that the very high standards set at the beginning of the teacher’s recruitment exercise have been maintained all through. Additionally,  the state’s interpreter or sign language expert was on hand to help out those with disabilities”.

Kanu further announced that the State Executive Council has approved the conduct of another round of teachers’ recruitment to give those who could not participate in the first phase a chance to participate.

He maintained that, the outcome of the second round of recruitment interview would afford the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education the opportunity to have a data bank of very qualified teachers to draw from any time the need for teachers arise.

He noted  that the government has warned principals and heads of schools who surreptitiously collect school fees and levies despite the state government’s free education policy for primary schools and junior secondary school students.

He advised principals and school heads who engage in these unwholesome acts to  stop forthwith or be ready to face the full wrath of the law.

The Commissioner, who noted that recently there have been some security breaches in some parts of the state, said that a few days back, two Chinese nationals and a police personnel were killed by bandits around the Uturu axis of the state.

He said, “Immediately that happened,  the police swung into action and rescued the rest of the members of the traveling team.

“The state security agencies are investigating the incident to unravel the motives of the bandits since” the incident wasn’t like a typical kidnap incident,” Prince Kanu explained.

“The state government, through the Ministry of  Basic Education,  issued a  very stern warning to principals and heads of schools who surreptitiously still collect school fees and levies despite the State Government’s
Free Education Policy for primary and Junior Secondary Schools to desist from such unwholesome acts.

“By this warning, all offenders henceforth would be made to face the full wrath of the law, including possibly losing their jobs.

“The state government has come up with a deliberate policy of providing imprest funds for routine expenses by principals and heads of schools.   Consequently,  those who engage in these dishonest and corrupt acts do not have any justifiable reasons to continue to do so.”