Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has signed 18 Executive Bills into law, aimed at strengthening the structured reforms introduced by his administration to improve the lives of Abia residents.

The Commissioner for Information, Mr. Okey Kanu, disclosed this while briefing newsmen at the Government House, Umuahia, following the May Expanded Executive Council Meeting. The signing ceremony forms part of the administration's second anniversary programmes, which include ongoing project inspections by former Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State.

Kanu also revealed that the Abia State Government has paid a counterpart fund of N3.5 billion to support six lots of roads for maintenance and five lots of grade roads across 10 Local Government Areas in the state, as well as three agro-logistics hubs through the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Programme (RAAMP).

"The state has paid its counterpart funds, and we expect that with a similar action from the World Bank, the project will kickoff around the state, benefiting 10 or more LGAs," Kanu stated.

According to the Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General of the state, Mr. Ikechukwu Uwanna, the 18 newly signed Executive Bills have increased the total number of executive bills signed into law under Governor Otti's administration to 30.

Among the major bills signed is the Abia Homeland Security Act, which has been updated to incorporate the creation of an effective Forest Guard as directed by President Bola Tinubu. The Abia State Bonds Act was also enacted to enable the state to raise funds at the capital market for development purposes.

Additionally, the Abia State Ombudsman and Public Complaints Commission has been officially established through an Act, while the Abia State Estate Development Agency has been scrapped, with its staff members absorbed by the Ministry of Lands.

Uwanna further explained that several agencies will now report to different ministries rather than directly to the governor. "The Umuahia Capital Development Agency, Abia Orientation Agency, and Abia State Fire Service will now report to the Ministry of Lands, Ministry of Information, and Ministry of Homeland Security, respectively," he said.

In a significant development for senior citizens, Mrs. Blessing Felix, the Commissioner for Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection, announced that Governor Otti also assented to the Abia Senior Citizens' Bill. When operational, this Act will ensure that the welfare of every Abia citizen above 60 years of age will be taken care of by the government.

These legislative actions reflect Governor Otti's commitment to institutional reforms and improved governance in Abia State as his administration marks its second year in office.