Abia State Government said it will begin demolishing and rebuilding parts of the Abia State College of Health Sciences and Management Technology in Aba within the week.
A statement on Monday by the Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Njoku Ukoha, said work is part of the government’s wider effort to upgrade state-owned tertiary institutions.
The statement said most of the college’s buildings, many of which are over 70 years old and in a dilapidated state, will be torn down and reconstructed to create a better learning environment for students.
“A few days ago, I published the current dilapidated state of the Abia State College of Health Sciences and Management Technology, Aba,” Ukoha said in the statement.
Ukoha said the move follows recent attention to the poor condition of the college and aligns with Governor Alex Otti’s plan to revive and modernize all state-owned tertiary institutions in Abia.
“As part of Governor Otti’s commitment to recover and remodel all state-owned tertiary institutions, demolition will start on site within the week, and most of the college’s over 70 years old dilapidated structures left in ruins and despair by previous administrations will be reconstructed to create a better learning environment for the students,” the statement read.
He added that visual designs of the new buildings were released to show the public how the college will look after the renovations.
“Behold! The prototype of the college when completed,” he stated.
The statement also listed other institutions currently being upgraded under the Otti administration.
According to Ukoha, the Abia State College of Education (Technical), Arochukwu, has been “completely transformed,” while Abia State University, Uturu, is “under massive rehabilitation, reconstruction and construction.”
He also noted that Abia State Polytechnic, Aba, has seen its temporary site transformed, with the permanent site undergoing “massive construction in preparation for relocation.”
In addition, the Abia State University Teaching Hospital, Aba, is currently “under massive construction and upgrading,” the statement added.
Ukoha said the redevelopment of the College of Health Sciences is part of the state’s broader effort to address years of neglect in education and improve the quality of public institutions.
KanyiDaily recalls that the Abia State Government recently sacked six staff members of the Ministry of Justice after an internal probe revealed they allegedly tampered with the payroll system to collect inflated salaries.