By CHARLES IWUOHA

Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has inaugurated the Board of Abia State Technological Skills Acquisition Centre with Professor Ndubuisi Ekekwe as Chairman.

Other members of the board include; Engr. Cletus Ogbonnaya Ekpo ? Vice Chairman, Engr. Peter Ukonu ? Director General, Mr. Gerald Ilukwe - Member, Mr. Chinenye Mba Uzoukwu - Member, Mr. Fidelis Nweze ? Member, Dr. Christopher Kalu Okoro - Member, Mr. Chukwudi Ogbonna - Member and Dr. Mrs. Rita Ndidi Amuchienwa - Member.

Inaugurating the board on Monday in the Executive Council Chamber at the end of the weekly State Executive Council meeting, Governor Alex Otti thanked all the members of the board for accepting to serve the State.

He described them as experts and the best hands in the technology space, "These are the best of the best that you can find in the technology space. The chairman of this centre has added so much to knowledge out of the U.S. and is doing our people proud.

"Also, the Director General is an inventor himself. We poached him from his comfort zone in the UK and we thank him for accepting to come back and serve his people.

"And of course, other members who have distinguished themselves in their areas of work. We want to celebrate you. We want to thank you. We know that if it is about compensation and paying, we can't even afford you.

Governor Otti said that the service they are called into is a service to the fatherland.

"This is a service to fatherland, service to your State, and service to Alaigbo, most importantly.

"I want us to be thinking Alaigbo, not Abia State. Abia State is too small for us. Every time we are doing anything, we should have at the back of our mind, our brothers and sisters who are in different parts of this great land.

"So, we are creating an enabling environment for all of them to operate and contribute to the development of our people.

"And that's why we didn't restrict the membership to people from Abia, just like every other thing we do here. We believe in skills, in merit, rather than geographical constraints," Gov. Otti stated.

The State Chief Executive expressed confidence that the board members would contribute in no small way to the revolution that is happening in Abia.

This is contained in a statement issued on Tuesday by his Chief press Secretary, Ukoha Njoku Ukoha and made available to journalists in Umuahia.

Responding, the Chairman of the board, Professor Ndubuisi Ekekwe

while thanking the Governor for appointing them, noted that technology has become a critical enabler in fixing economic development, saying that,

"We are called to build the technology capability in the beautiful State of Abia. It means that Abia actually wants to rise to the mountaintop because technology will enable that abundance and unlock prosperity. That, of course, I am here for.

"So, we thank you, Your Excellency, for the visionary project. We are going to put the best of our abilities. So that from Isukwaka to all the parts of our beautiful State, boys and girls, men and women, they would actually feel the impact of what the government and the leadership can bring to the people," Prof. Ekekwe stated.

Also speaking, a member of the board, Dr. Mrs. Rita Amuchienwa described it as a good initiative and promised that, the team would deliver on its mandate.

"This is a very good initiative, Your Excellency. I've heard so much about Abia, I've heard so much about your leadership, and I'm so privileged and happy that I was honoured to be among this team that will make the Abia youth a better people.

"I'm standing on my own to say that I will put in my effort with that of the team to ensure that we deliver on this mandate," Dr Amuchienwa stated.

The Deputy Governor, His Excellency, Engr. Ikechukwu Emetu and members of the State Executive Council were present at the inauguration.

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