The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Abia State Command, has announced a decline in Road Traffic Crashes (RTCs) and fatalities in 2025 compared to the 2024 figures, attributing the feat to concerted efforts by the Corps, the State Government, security agencies, and other key stakeholders.

Sector Commander of the Abia State FRSC, Ngozi Ezeoma, made this known in Umuahia during a town hall meeting of stakeholders for the 2025 Ember Months campaign, themed around collective responsibility and sustained safety awareness.

Ezeoma disclosed that the reduction was achieved through continuous sensitization, education, and enforcement of road traffic regulations across key corridors in the state.

“The numbers recorded so far are sobering and underscore the urgent need for sustained intervention and shared commitment,” she said, noting that the FRSC’s 2025 Corporate Strategic Goal No. 1 is to achieve a 10% reduction in road traffic fatalities and injuries through focused interventions.

She further revealed that the Ember Months public enlightenment campaign will be launched in motor parks, churches, mosques, and marketplaces, utilizing indigenous languages and repetitive messaging for greater impact.

According to her, mobile courts will be deployed to swiftly prosecute traffic offenders, while driver re-certification and pre-trip vehicle inspections will be conducted in partnership with transport unions and other stakeholders.

Ezeoma urged motorists and road users to shun over-speeding, overloading, drunk driving, and other dangerous practices that endanger lives, adding that safety on the roads is a shared responsibility.

“Let our collective resolve translate into action on the streets, in our communities, and within our institutions. The success of this meeting depends on what each of us does after today,” she emphasized.

Delivering a lecture during the meeting, the Sector Public Education Officer, J.K. Igbonekwu, dismissed the myth that road accidents during Ember Months are caused by “blood-sucking demons.” He attributed such incidents instead to human recklessness, negligence, and disregard for safety rules.

Also speaking, the Abia State Commissioner for Transport, Dr. Chimezie Ukaegbu, cautioned motorists against endangering their lives and those of their passengers as the festive season approaches.

Dr. Ukaegbu, who was a guest at the event, urged all road users to cultivate a culture of safety, responsibility, and awareness, stressing that road safety is a shared duty and not the sole responsibility of government or enforcement agencies.

“Everyone who uses, the road whether a driver, pedestrian, cyclist, or passenger plays a role.

Drivers must obey speed limits, avoid distractions, and never drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Passengers and pedestrians must also encourage safe behavior and obey traffic signals,” he said.

He further advised motorists to carry out regular vehicle checks, avoid impatience on the road, and always wear seatbelts, adding that simple precautions could save countless lives.

“The good news is that promoting road safety doesn’t require superhuman effort — just commitment to simple acts of caution and care,” the Commissioner added.

Dr. Ukaegbu reaffirmed that the State Ministry of Transport would continue to partner with the FRSC in life-saving campaigns and public awareness programmes.

Delivering a goodwill message, Lady Gloria Ify Abiakam, Chairman of the Association of Heads of Federal Establishments, commended the FRSC and its leadership for their sustained dedication to saving lives across Nigeria’s highways.

“T his gathering reminds us that road safety is not merely a duty but a shared responsibility — one that calls upon our collective conscience to protect the sanctity of human life,” she said.

Lady Abiakam reaffirmed the commitment of the Federal Community to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the FRSC in its mission to ensure that every journey ends in safety, joy, and reunion.

“In times like the Ember Months, when the roads grow busier and risks heighten, may we remember that every life matters, every caution counts, and every act of responsibility saves a family from tears,” she noted.

She praised the FRSC leadership and officers for their tireless service, describing their work as “humanity in action.”

“May this town hall ignite renewed awareness, deeper collaboration, and stronger resolve toward achieving safer roads and fuller lives for all.
Together, we can make our roads not just pathways of travel, but highways of hope,” she concluded.

The event brought together representatives from transport unions, religious organizations, civil society, and the media , all united by a shared commitment to make Abia roads safer, especially during the high-risk Ember Months.

The grand finale of the 2025 Abia State August Meeting holds on Tuesday, August 26, at the International Conference Centre, Umuahia, with women empowerment set to dominate discussions at the colourful event.

The annual women’s gathering, which has traversed all 17 Local Government Areas of the state, will be rounded off with a celebration expected to draw dignitaries from within and outside Abia, including the State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, members of the State Executive Council and other top government officials.

Briefing journalists on the outcome of this week’s Executive Council meeting, the Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, explained that the grassroots engagements, spearheaded by the Governor’s Wife, Mrs. Priscilla Otti, had greatly empowered women and strengthened local initiatives.

On her part, the Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs. Maureen Aghukwa, described the August Meeting as a “local parliament for women at the grassroots,” lauding Mrs. Otti for her tireless efforts in mobilising women and offering direct support. She revealed that the Governor’s Wife intends to extend more empowerment initiatives to women and youths during the finale, in line with this year’s theme: “United in Strength and Empowered for Purpose.”

Meanwhile, the State Government has announced that the Abia Social Health Insurance Scheme has surpassed its 2025 target of 100,000 enrollees, hitting a record 103,076 participants as at August 17. According to Prince Kanu, this milestone will be followed by the kick-off of informal sector enrolments, with details to be released soon.

In further reforms, the Ministry of Health has established two new departments: the Abia Drug and Medical Commodities Management Agency, and the Department of Nutrition, in alignment with the Federal Government’s N-774 Nutrition Initiative.

So far, 121 Primary Health Centres have been completed under the Project Ekwueme programme. The Commissioner explained that the delay in meeting the initial 100-day completion target was due to an expanded scope of work, weather vagaries, and in some cases, contractor lapses. The projects are now scheduled for completion by October 31, 2025, after which another phase will be launched.

Confidence in the health system has also risen remarkably, with bed occupancy at the Abia State University Teaching Hospital (ABSUTH) improving from 50 percent in August 2024 to 100 percent in March 2025, and sustaining that level till date.

On environmental health, Prince Kanu disclosed that sanitary inspectors inaugurated by the Ministry of Environment have commenced house-to-house inspections across all 17 LGAs. Residents found to be keeping their surroundings filthy would face prosecution under existing environmental laws. The policy, he said, aims to entrench better hygiene and safeguard public health.

In another development, the government has received approval from the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) to take over the moribund Star Paper Mill. Prince Kanu said the facility would be handed over to private investors under strict supervision to avoid mismanagement, while hinting that other dormant industries in the state would also be revived to create jobs.

The August Meeting grand finale is therefore expected to serve not just as a celebration of women’s solidarity and empowerment, but also as a platform to highlight the Otti administration’s strides in health, environment, and industrial revival.

A WELCOME ADDRESS PRESENTED BY THE HONOURABLE MINISTER OF INFORMATION AND NATIONAL ORIENTATION, MOHAMMED IDIRIS FNIPR ON FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SOUTH EAST MILESTONE UNDER PRESIDENT BOLA AHMED TINUBU’S ADMINISTRATION ABLY REPRESENTED BY THE HEAD OF CENTRE (FIC), ABIA STATE, LADY GLORIA IFY ABIAKAM.

THEME: MIDTERM REPORT OF PRESIDENT TINUBU’S ADMINISTRATION

My fellow brothers and sisters of Abia State, fellow Nigerians, esteemed guests, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, it is with great pleasure that I welcome you all to this important gathering.

This is both a privilege and an honour to stand before you today as we gather to embark on a mission that touches the very heart of our nation.
We come together with a shared purpose to uphold and empower each and every one of us, and to extend a hand of support in this period of transition.

You are citizens of a great nation steadily rising to reclaim her promise. Today, I wish to draw your attention to the commendable efforts and achievements of the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu particularly as they impact us in the South East and more especially here in our dear Abia State.

Under the Renewed Hope Agenda of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, several critical sectors are receiving the attention long overdue from Agriculture and Healthcare, the South East is no longer an afterthought but it is a priority now.

In the area of Agriculture, the establishment of the cassava, bio-ethanol project in Enugu is bold step toward food security and job creation. This project holds promising opportunities not only for our farmers but for the entire agro-processing value chain that many Abians will benefit from directly or indirectly.

Also, in agriculture, the first lady of the Nation Hon. Remi Tinubu through the wife of Abia State Governor Mrs. Priscilla Otti empowered beneficiaries of the Youth Agricultural support programme.

The Federal Government in line with the renewed hope agenda provided relief materials as palliatives to Abians tagged Boundless Support for Persons with Disabilities.

In Education, the students loan scheme that had benefited many undergraduates and took away the burden of school fees from parents and caregivers. Several grants for SME’s and aids to the poor of the poor households.
Consumer Credit Corporation, Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), Digital and Creative Enterprises (DCE), Skill-Up Artisans Programme (SUPA), National Youth Talent Export, Housing Initiative, Nano-Business Support, Nigerian Youth Academy and Micro and Small Business Loans.

In health care, the commissioning of the cancer centers in the South East is a breakthrough. The Federal Government has delivered a cancer center at UNTH, Enugu with MRI equipment installed, a much needed facility for early detection and treatment.

We must also appreciate the upgraded mother and child center in Abia an Imo, which are directly impacting maternal health outcomes and reducing avoidable deaths in our communities.

On infrastructure, the construction of the second Niger Bridge and the Enugu – Onitsha Expressway as well as the ongoing Enugu-Port Harcourt Express way upgrades are not just regional assets. They are lifelines for trade, commerce, industry and connectivity. For a commercial hub like Abia State; improved transport corridors mean more business, more jobs and faster movement of goods and people.

My dear Abians, these projects are not just milestone on paper; they are visible, tangible results of governance that works. And they are ongoing meaning the rest is yet to come.

As a people known for our industry, enterprise and resilience, let us take full advantage of these initiatives. Let us support every effort that brings development closer to our communities, let us also remain united in purpose and voice as we continue to advocate for more inclusiveness and equitable distribution of national projects.

My dear citizens, I urge you to spread the news; these programs are here for you, your neigbours, your families and your communities. Let’s take advantage of them, let’s engage with them, and together we can build a Nigeria where everyone has the chance to succeed.

I, however, urge all states and local governments to actively disseminate information about these initiatives and ensure that citizens across all regions are fully aware and encouraged to take advantage of these opportunities. Together, we can build a brighter and more prosperous future to Nigeria.

In conclusion, I want to assure you that this government is with you. We are committed to your well-being and we are working tirelessly to create a future where all Nigerians can thrive with unity, hope and hard work, we will rise from these challenges stronger and more resilient than ever before.

On behalf of our elders, our women, our youth and our future generations we say thank you to President Tinubu for these impactful projects.

We also call for sustained and expanded attention to our region because when the South East prospers, Nigeria moves forward.

Thank you and may God continue to bless Abia State and the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Lady Abiakam Gloria Ify
HOC, FIC Abia State