Abia Procures Wheelchair Accessible Bus For Transportation Of Physically Challenged Athletes
Pecohub Abia State government has disclosed that it has procured a wheelchair accessible bus for the transportation of physically challenged athletes in the state.
The bus, the State Commissioner for Information, Chief Sir Okey Kanu explained, will be in operation at the upcoming International Sports Championship scheduled from the 3rd of September to 12th of October 2025.
Speaking on the victorious Super Falcons of Abia State origin, the commissioner stated that the three ladies from the state in the team would be hosted by the state governor, Dr Alex Otti later in the year, adding that they would have been accorded the deserved recognition if not the fact that they returned to their clubs for club assignments as soon as they returned from the African ladies’ soccer championship held in Morocco.
Okey Kanu, who briefed journalists in Umuahia on the outcome of the State Executive Council meeting, revealed that the government has increased the number of electric buses to be procured for the state’s mass transit programme from 20 to 40.
He stated that, apart from the increase in the number of the electric buses, the number of charging stations have been equally increased from 10 to 20.
The first batch of 20 buses, he opined, would arrive in November this year, and that 12 of it would operate in Aba while eight of them would be in Umuahia.
His word, “Council has approved the increase in the number of electric buses to be procured for the state’s mass transit programme to 40.
“From the additional 20 buses ordered by the state government, some will operate on Ohafia – Bende axis of the state. One bus sample was ready for inspection by the end of July.
“The arrival of these buses will no doubt strengthen the ongoing revolutionary transformation of the transport sector of the state.
“The construction of a state of the art bus terminals in Aba and Umuahia is equally ongoing. In addition, the junction improvement work is ongoing while bus shelters are springing up at designated routes in Umuahia and Aba”.
On youth development, Prince Kanu informed that the Abia State government, in collaboration with Ethnocentric Ltd., has on boarded 1,200 Abia youths for the second cohort of the Fashion Future Skills Acquisition Programme in garments and leather works.
He declared, “This programme is designed to equip our youths with skills in garment making and leather works. The programme so far has attracted over $3 million worth of sponsorship funding from MasterCard Foundation.
“This huge injection of sponsorship funds into the Abia State economy is due largely because of the sterling governance credentials of His Excellency Dr. Alex Otti, OFR, and how the Abia State is currently perceived, not just in Nigeria but around the world”.
The Abia information commissioner asserted that the Abia State Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, in collaboration with the State Ministry of Arts, Culture, and Creative Economy, has launched an ambitious Abia State Creative Talent Hunt initiative designed to empower young innovators and talents in music.
The Youth and Sports Development Ministry, he further stated, is working assiduously towards the celebration of this year’s Youth Day slated for the 6th to 12th of August 2025.
He informed that a number of activities have been lined up for the celebration, including Youth Assembly, Symposium, and Interstate Youth Exchange Visits, among others.
In attendance during the briefing were the Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, his Arts, Culture and Creative Economy counterpart, Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Ferdinand Ekeoma, Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Ukoha Njoku Ukoha and Permanent Secretary Ministry of Information, Sir Chris Onwuegbu.
