Otti Orders Rehabilitation of Aguiyi-Ironsi’s Alma Mater, Access Road

Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti, has directed the Abia State Universal Basic Education Board (ASUBEB) to immediately commence the process of rehabilitating Ibeama Primary School, Ndume Otuka, Umuahia North Local Government Area, the alma mater of Nigeria’s first military Head of State, the late General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi.

The governor also directed the Commissioner for Works, Engr. Otumchere Oti, to assess the condition of the community road leading to the late General’s residence with a view to rehabilitating it.

Otti gave the directives on Saturday during a civic reception organised in honour of the Deputy Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Austin Okezie Nmeregini, at Ibeama Primary School, Ndume Otuka.

The governor’s directives followed appeals by leaders of the Ndume Otuka community, who requested the rehabilitation of the historic primary school attended by Aguiyi-Ironsi and the access road to his residence.

Responding, Otti said the requests would be accommodated under his administration’s ongoing programme of comprehensive rehabilitation of public schools across the state.

He said: “We have taken notes of the request that was made by the elder statesman.

“The first one is the road that leads to General Ironsi’s house. I will detail the Commissioner for Works to go and have a look and come back to me.

“The second one is about the school. We are carrying out a comprehensive rehabilitation of all the schools in the state. And I believe that this is not left out. The chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board is here.

“So she is hereby given an instruction to come back here by Monday and begin to look at how we will fast track the rehabilitation of the school”.

Governor Otti thanked the people of the area for acknowledging his administration’s developmental efforts and for pledging support for him and Labour Party candidates in the 2027 general elections.

“Our promise to you is that we shall not stop; nothing will stop us. And with your promise to support all of us for the next election, all we want to say is thank you”, the governor said.

He also commended the people of Umuahia East for organising a thanksgiving service in honour of their son, noting that the scriptures encourage gratitude to God.

Earlier, the President-General of the Ndume Otuka Development Union, Deacon Okezie Onyemauwa, and community elder, Chimezie Ndukwe, applauded the governor for the remarkable transformation taking place across Abia State.

They praised his people-oriented policies and developmental strides, saying the administration had restored hope and confidence through impactful projects and good governance.

The community leaders also reaffirmed their support for the Otti led administration and drew his attention to the deteriorating condition of the road leading to the late Aguiyi-Ironsi’s residence as well as the dilapidated state of Ibeama Primary School.

In his remarks, the Deputy Speaker, Rt. Hon. Austin Okezie Nmeregini, thanked the governor for attending the event despite his demanding schedule, describing his presence as a demonstration of genuine affection for the people.

Nmeregini said many of those who organised the reception had belonged to opposition parties during the 2023 elections but had since embraced Governor Otti’s leadership because of the transformation witnessed across the state.

He congratulated those who had joined the Labour Party and declared: “Together we shall continue to support the transformational leadership of Governor Otti.”

Delivering the vote of thanks, Chairman of Kingsoo Global Maritime Limited, Chief Kingsley Amaechi Offor, appreciated the governor on behalf of the Umuahia East Constituency for what he described as his transformational leadership.

Offor said the reception was organised to honour Nmeregini for his effective representation and assured the governor of the constituency’s continued support ahead of the 2027 elections.

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