Abia postpones Tinubu’s visit, project inauguration

The Abia State Government has officially postponed President Bola Tinubu’s scheduled visit and the inauguration of major development projects in the state. 

The events, which were originally planned for Friday, May 23, 2025, will now take place in June.

This update was made public by the Commissioner for Information, Prince Kanu, during a press briefing held on Tuesday in Umuahia, the state capital.

President Tinubu was expected to commission the 6.7-kilometre Port Harcourt Road in Aba and launch the Abia Medical City project.

However, according to Kanu, the rescheduling became necessary due to the President’s tight schedule.

Kanu, however said in line with the transformative projects of Governor Alex Otti in Aba, the commercial hub of the state, some Aba residents would be organising carnival on Wednesday, May 21 to celebrate some projects done in the city. He clarified that the event is not organised by the government.

He said, “On a happy note, let me inform us that despite the fact that the commissioning ceremony will not be holding on May 23, there will be a big carnival in Aba.

“This event itself by the residents of Aba has nothing to do with the state government.

“The government is not going to be paying a dime into the organisation of the carnival. And it’s a huge testament to how the people of Abia Mega City appreciate what the government is doing.”

The Media Aide also announced the rollout of the activities marking the second anniversary celebration of Governor Alex Otti and said it would commence by the May 25 with interdenominational service at the International Conference Centre Umuahia by 1.00pm.

Also, May 26 will be Abia Anniversary Exco. On May 27, the First Lady would visit orphanage homes and celebrate Children’s Day with Abia children.

He added that May 28 will be an Anniversary Lecture to be delivered by Kalu Idika Kalu, a former Finance Minister, while May 29 will be grand finale with a state broadcast, by the Governor at the Umuahia Township Stadium.

He further announced that, on May 23, the wife of the 6 Mrs. Priscilla Otti will be playing host to the First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Mrs. Oluremi Tinubu, who would be on hand to launch her initiative to support vulnerable persons in the state.

The Commissioner said that the Council has set up a committee to plan for the commissioning of Primary Health Centres (PHC) undertaken by the state government under “Project Ekwueme.”

He said that the commissioning ceremony would be done in one PHC for each of the 17 Local Government Areas.

Contributing, the Commissioner for Health, Professor Enouch Ogbonnaya Uche said that Project Ekwueme, which was flagged off on January 28th this year, is being completed now. He also gave more information about the Abia Medical City project, which has been rescheduled to be flagged off next month.

“From the first week of June, over a period of 17 days, we are going to be commissioning in each Local Government, one after the other. The details will soon be worked out and communicated.

“It’s important for us to know that this project is real. It’s not imaginary. And I’m sure some of us, as we are moving around the state, would have seen the PHCs in different places as they are being completed.

“I also want to say that the medical city is a very good project that is not just for Abians, but for the country as a whole, because the enormity of this project is such that it has not happened anywhere in this country before.

“So, His Excellency, the President of our dear nation, wants to be the one that will flag up the medical city because of its enormous dimensions and, of course, the prospects that are to follow from such a project. But I speak to you now, the access route,

“His Excellency (Gov. Otti) has directed that the access route to the medical city location should be constructed. In fact, construction work is going on now.”

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity Mr Ferdinand Ekeoma and the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Ukoha Njoku Ukoha were present during the interaction.