Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti, has received a delegation from the International Organisation For Migration (IOM), an inter-governmental organisation where he assured that the state is committed to curbing irregular migration.
Led by the representative of the mission to Nigeria, Mr. Victor Lutenco, the IOM team was on a working visit to Abia where the governor also said his administration is committed to partnering with multi-lateral and donor agencies on ways to move the state forward.
The International Organisation for Migration is an inter-governmental organisation that works to uphold the rights and well-being of migrants, foster a greater understanding of migration issues and support the sustainable development of communities.
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The Governor said that the state government was working to curb irregular migration by focusing on infrastructural development of the state to drive its vision of job creation and reducing unemployment among the people, Kazie Uko, chief press secretary to the governor said in a statement.
He quoted the governor as further noting that his administration was at the forefront of addressing insecurity through job creation, adding that Abia state under the present administration is actively engaged in 21st-century opportunities that would create an enabling environment for businesses to thrive.
“Abia has 51% unemployment and our major solution is to create jobs for the people. You cannot create jobs with infrastructural decay, lack of ease of doing business,” Governor Otti said.
The statement said, “The Governor while noting that the state government is supporting SMEs to do more, added that the government is creating infrastructure that would make it difficult for people to leave the state.
“He listed road infrastructure, electricity, social infrastructure, and healthcare delivery system across the state’s three senatorial zones as some of the steps his government took to check irregular migration.
“Governor Otti assured that the state government would do all within its powers to create opportunities for the people to do well in the state and compete favourably in the global job market.
“The Governor said that Public Private Partnership is the way to go as it reinforces the confidence of the people in any given system.
“The Governor while assuring that his administration will support them in all aspect, requested the organization to consider setting up an office in the state considering the centrality of Abia to other South East/South South states who would also benefit from the Services therein.
“In his speech earlier, the delegation leader, Mr. Victor Lutenco, said they came to Abia because they found the Governor as an embodiment of trust and the new face of development and used the opportunity to seek partnership with the state towards achieving its objectives.
“According to Lutenco, one of the important priorities of IOM is maximising the contribution of migration to development, pointing out that in the context of the Governor’s transformation agenda, the work of IOM can be highly relevant and complementary.
“He said the organisation assists in the development of policies and strategies for effective migration management, promotes linkages between migration and development, and plays a crucial role in providing humanitarian aide to migrants in a crisis situation and to displaced populations among other services.
“Governor Otti was joined in the meeting by some top government functionaries and members of the State Executive Council among whom were the Chief of Staff, Dr. Caleb Ajagba; the Principal Secretary to the Governor/Chief Strategy Officer, Mr. Chinenye Mba-Uzoukwu; the Commissioner for Women Affairs, Ngozi Blessing Felix; Mr. Odinakachi Eric Eme, Senior Special Assistant on Multilateral and Donor Agencies; Mrs. Ifeoma Thomas, Special Assistant to the Governor on Poverty Alleviation and Vulnerable Groups; and Mr. Chukwunenye Alajemba, Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Homeland Security.”
